N. Korea proves its desire to ‘provoke’
Flaunts ability to fire missile over Japan
North Korea’s brazen launch of a missile over Japan yesterday shows the emboldened rogue dictatorship is increasingly confident that the United States and others will keep balking at the idea of war as it continues to test its arsenal, experts say.
“In the absence of war, they are going to move ahead with their testing program to create nuclear capability and delivery capability,” said Robert S. Ross, an expert on the region at Boston College.
“It’s clear that the recent escalation in tension between the United States and North Korea did not result in North Korea backing down.”
North Korea fired a ballistic missile early today from Pyongyang. The missile flew over Japan before plunging into the Pacific Ocean, officials said. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile traveled roughly 1,677 miles and reached a maximum height of 341 miles as it flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
The missile, which appears to be the first to cross over Japan since 2009, has rattled the region and likely will cause harsh rhetoric to reverberate through international circles. But the calls for change and action could fall on deaf ears as world powers continue to try to figure out North Korea’s dangerous endgame.
“This won’t change anything. North Korea will continue to show off and show that it has diversified missile capabilities,” said Sung-Yoon Lee, a professor of Korean studies at Tufts University’s Fletcher School.
“It pays to provoke. North Korea doesn’t pay any real punishment when it does. There’s nothing stopping them.”
Tokyo called the test early today a “grave threat.” Japanese officials said there was no damage reported. Japan’s NHK TV said the missile separated into three parts. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters, “We will do our utmost to protect people’s lives.”
Yesterday’s launch occurred just days after North Korea set off three short-range ballistic missiles into the sea and a month after its second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts say could reach deep into the U.S. mainland when perfected.
Lee said the distance the missiles traveled will “send a message” that North Korea could hit the U.S. territory of Guam with an attack — a threat issued recently in the ongoing war of words between the pariah nation and the United States.
“Anyone who thought that we were able to get North Korea to back off a little bit with the tough rhetoric from President Trump was incorrect,” he said.
“I think this should remove all doubt that they march to their own tune.”