North Korea plans to mass- produce missile

Kim expresses ‘ great satisfaction’ with test

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Monday ordered mass production of a medium- range ballistic missile successfully tested a day earlier that is capable of reaching several U. S. bases in the region.

State- run KCNA news service said Kim ordered Sunday’s test launch from an observation post and “expressed his great satisfaction” with the results.

“Saying with pride that the missile’s rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong- 2 is a successful strategic weapon, he approved the deployment of this weapon system for action,” KCNA said.

David Wright, a senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, has monitored North Korea’s missile development for decades and says Pyongyang’s program is making alarming strides.

“They are showing more sophistication,” Wright told USA TODAY. “We need to start a dialogue. We are simply running out of time.”

Sunday’s test came one week after Pyongyang successfully tested another type of missile that it boasted was capable of reaching the U. S. armed with a nuclear warhead.

The United Nations Security Council will hold a closed- door session Tuesday to discuss the test.

France’s U. N. ambassador Francois Delattre said Pyongyang’s behavior demands “a swift and firm reaction” from the Security Council, including tougher sanctions, the Associated Press reported.

Last week, the Security Council “strongly condemned” Pyongyang’s testing and urged members to fully implement stiff U. N. sanctions already in place.

The test Sunday involved a medium- range ballistic missile that has a shorter range than others fired by the communist regime in recent months, the White House said. The path of the missile, which flew about 310 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan, was monitored by the South Korean military and the U. S. Pacific Command.

Wright said that based on trajectory the missile appeared to have a range of about 800 miles — perhaps sufficient to reach U. S. military installations across South Korea and Japan but not the U. S. territory of Guam.

He said Pyongyang is developing two types of missiles — the solid- fuel Pukguksong- 2 missile that can be fired from a mobile launcher and the liquid- fuel Hwasong- 12, tested a week earlier, that involves a more complicated launch structure.

Pacific Command Cmdr. David Benham said an assessment of the tests revealed the launches did not pose a threat to North America. But he emphasized that U. S. officials were closely monitoring the tests and pledged “ironclad commitment” to allies in the region. Such language has become standard following a series of North Korean missile tests in recent months.

North Korea has been stepping up its missile testing, apparently attempting to develop a missile capable of reaching the United States.

Kim has frequently expressed outrage at the U. S., most recently for massive military exercises conducted with South Korea and for U. S. deployment of an antimissile system designed to counter the Pyongyang missile threat.

The Trump administration has pressed China, North Korea’s closest ally, to rein in Pyongyang. Wright said he thinks Kim may be ready to make a deal, and the rush of tests in recent weeks is probably the North’s effort to “make what progress they can before they freeze things.”

Wright said President Trump brings “fresh eyes” to the conflict but also understands what previous presidents have learned: There is no realistic military option. North Korea is capable of causing major damage to South Korea and Japan in the event of war, Wright said.

“I think this guy ( Kim) is rational, but he’s unpredictable,” Wright said. “Ramping up sanctions and working with China to get some sort of talks started is the only way forward.”

“They are showing more sophistication. We need to start a dialogue. We are simply running out of time.” David Wright, Union of Concerned Scientists