All options on table, says Trump
tokyo/seoul — North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan’s northern Hokkaido island into the sea on Tuesday, prompting a warning from US President Donald Trump that “all options are on the table” as the United States considers its response.
The test, one of the most provocative ever from the reclusive state, came as US and South Korean forces conduct annual military exercises on the peninsula, angering North Korea which sees them as a preparation for invasion.
North Korea has conducted dozens of ballistic missile tests under young leader Kim Jong-un, the most recent on Saturday, in defiance of UN sanctions, but firing projectiles over mainland Japan is rare.
Trump said the world had received North Korea’s latest message “loud and clear”.
“This regime has signalled its contempt for its neighbours, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behaviour,” Trump said in a statement released by the White House.
“Threatening and destabilising actions only increase the North Korean regime’s isolation in the region and among all nations of the world. All options are on the table.”
Trump spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the two agreed that North Korea “poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, as well as to countries around the world”, the White House said.
The Republic of Korea is South Korea’s official name.
“President Trump and Prime Minister Abe committed to increasing pressure on North Korea, and doing their utmost to convince the international community to do the same,” the statement said.
The US disarmament ambassador said Washington still needed to do “further analysis” of the launch, which would be the subject of a UN Security Council meeting later in the day. “It’s another provocation by North Korea, they just seem to continue to happen,” US envoy Robert Wood told reporters in Geneva.
In China, North Korea’s lone major ally, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the crisis was “approaching a critical juncture”, but it was also maybe a turning point to open the door to peace talks. South Korea’s military said the missile was launched from near the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, just before 6am and flew 2,700km, reaching an altitude of about 550km. —
this regime has signalled its contempt for its neighbours, for all members of the un, and for minimum standards of acceptable behaviour Donald Trump, US president
From our perspective, we are willing to continue to work with our global partners to keep the pressure on north Korea Spokeswoman of British Prime Minister Theresa May
Intransigent policies towards Pyongyang are a must to avoid further escalation and France is ready to do everything to bring n. Korea to the table Emmanuel Macron, French President
We will do our utmost to protect people’s lives. this reckless act of launching a missile that flies over our country is a serious threat Shinzo Abe, Japanese Prime Minister
Regarding the launching of the missiles from north Korea, we insist on the fact that the north Koreans must respect the resolutions of the un Sergei Lavrov , Russian Foreign Minister 2,700 kilometre distance was covered by the north Korean missile