US now in range of Kim missiles
NORTH Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said the second test of an intercontinental ballistic missile has demonstrated his country can hit the US mainland.
His comments came hours after the launch left analysts concluding that a wide swathe of the United States, including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now in range of North Korean weapons.
The Korean Central News Agency said Kim expressed “great satisfaction” after the Hwasong-14 missile reached a maximum height of 2,314 miles and travelled 620 miles before accurately landing in waters off Japan.
The agency said the test was aimed at confirming the maximum range and other technical aspects of the missile it says was capable of delivering a “large-sized, heavy nuclear warhead”.
Analysts estimated that the North’s first ICBM on July 4 could have reached Alaska, and said that the latest missile appeared to extend that range significantly.
After the launch, US and South Korean forces conducted live-fire exercises.
South Korean defence Minister Song Young-moo called for the deployment of strategic US military assets – which usually means stealth bombers and aircraft carriers – as well as additional launchers of an advanced US anti-missile system.
Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the missile flew for about 45 minutes – about five minutes longer than the first. The missile was launched on a very high trajectory, which limited the distance it travelled, and landed west of Japan’s island of Hokkaido.
The KCNA quoted Kim as saying that the launch reaffirmed the reliability of the country’s ICBM system and an ability to fire at “random regions and locations at random times” with the “entire” US mainland now within range.
The agency said that the test confirmed important features of the missile system.
US president Donald Trump said the weapons and tests “further isolate North Korea, weaken its economy, and deprive its people” and vowed to “take all necessary steps” to ensure the security of the US and its allies.
China, meanwhile, urged its ally North Korea to abide by United Nations Security Council resolutions.