N Korea claims ICBM test success
SOUTH KOREA: North Korea claimed to have tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile in a launch yesterday, a potentially game-changing development in its push to militarily challenge Washington – but a declaration that conflicts with earlier South Korean and United States assessments that the missile had only an intermediate range.
The North has previously conducted satellite launches that critics say were disguised tests of its long-range missile technology. But a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, if confirmed, would be a major step forward in developing a nucleararmed missile that can reach anywhere in the US.
Still, the launch appeared to be the North’s most successful missile test yet. It seems designed to send a political warning to Washington and its chief Asian allies, Seoul and Tokyo, even as it allows North Korean scientists a chance to perfect their still-incomplete nuclear missile programme.
It came on the eve of the US Independence Day holiday, days after the first face-to-face meeting of the leaders of South Korea and the US, and ahead of a global summit of the world’s richest economies.
US, South Korean and Japanese officials say the missile flew for about 40 minutes and reached an altitude of 2500 kilometres, which would be longer and higher than any other similar tests previously reported. It also covered a distance of about 930km.
One US missile scientist, David Wright, estimated that the missile could have a maximum range of 6700km, which could put Alaska in its range.
North Korea has a reliable arsenal of shorter-range missiles, but is still trying to perfect its longer-range missiles. Some analysts believe North Korea has the technology to arm its shortrange missiles with nuclear warheads, but it’s unclear if it has mastered the technology needed to build an atomic bomb that can fit on a long-range missile.
Soon after the launch, President Donald Trump responded on Twitter: ‘‘North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!’’
‘‘This guy’’ presumably refers to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. China is North Korea’s economic lifeline and only major ally, and the Trump administration is pushing Beijing to do more to push the North toward disarmament.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga suggested the altitude of this missile might have been higher than earlier tests. He did not give further details, including the distance of the flight and where in Japan’s exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan the missile landed.
Just last week South Korean President Moon Jae In and Trump met for the first time and vowed to oppose North Korea’s development of atomic weapons.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sharply criticised North Korea for the launch. ‘‘The latest launch clearly showed that the threat is growing,’’ Abe said.
Abe, who talked by phone with Trump on Monday, said the two leaders plan to seek co-operation from world leaders when they attend a G20 summit in Germany.
China’s United Nations ambassador, Liu Jieyi, warned yesterday that further escalation of already high tensions with North Korea risked getting out of control, ‘‘and the consequences would be disastrous’’.
The launch was the first by the North since a June 8 test of a cruise missile that Pyongyang says can strike US and South Korean warships ‘‘at will’’. – AP