N Korea taunts Trump with new missile launch
DONALD Trump gave Japan his ‘100 per cent’ backing yesterday after North Korea fired a ballistic missile in its direction.
The weapon flew 300 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan. The timing of the launch coincided with the US President hosting Japanese premier Shinzo Abe at his Florida mansion.
At a hastily-arranged press conference Mr Abe said the ballistic test was ‘absolutely intolerable’.
Mr Trump added: ‘I just want everybody to understand and fully know that the United States of America stands behind Japan, its great ally, 100 per cent.’
The two leaders said their countries would draw closer together.
The South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement that ‘North Korea’s repeated provocations show the Kim Jong-un regime’s nature of irrationality, maniacally obsessed in its nuclear and missile development’.
Seoul’s military said that it was probably an intermediate range Musudan class missile. The weapons are designed to travel up to 3,000 miles – meaning Japan could be reached from North Korea. Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, said it was a clear provocation to his country.
Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the continuing missile tests ‘undermined regional and international security’.
‘Maniac who butchered his own family’
He added: ‘North Korea must refrain from further provocations, halt all launches using ballistic missile technology and abandon once and for all its ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, as required by the UN Security Council.’
Mr Abe said: ‘President Trump and I myself completely share the view that we are going to promote further cooperation between the two nations. And also we are going to further reinforce our alliance.’
North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology. But six sets of UN sanctions since Pyongyang’s first nuclear test in 2006 have failed to halt its drive for what it insists are defensive weapons.
It conducted two nuclear tests and numerous missile launches last year in its quest to develop a nuclear weapons system capable of hitting the US mainland. The European Union also joined the criticism of North Korea and said its ‘repeated disregard of its international obligations was provocative and unacceptable’.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted: ‘Condemn latest North Korea missile launch. UK will continue to work with allies for strong response to this threat to international peace & security.’
The South Korean military said in a statement: ‘Our assessment is that it is part of a show of force is in response to the new US adminis- tration’s hardline position against the North.’
Mr Trump has vowed to get tough with North Korea and has called its leader Kim Jong-un a maniac who butchered his family. At a rally in Iowa last January he said: ‘This guy doesn’t play games. And we can’t play games with him.’
He added: ‘The message we’re sending to the world right now is a message of strength and solidarity; we stand with Japan and we stand with our allies in the region to address the North Korean menace.’
During his election campaign Mr Trump said if the US was attacked the Japanese would just ‘sit home and watch Sony television’. Meanwhile, the US President is reportedly planning to hold a mass rally on his visit to the UK later this year, a move which could shift his trip from London to the Midlands.
He is said to be keen to hold a stadium-sized event to raise money for armed forces veterans. Officials from the UK and the US are looking into how to revitalise the visit after the British government cancelled a plan for Mr Trump to address Parliament and protesters vowed to turn out in force.
One proposal being discussed is for Mr Trump to address a rally in Birmingham with the entry fee going to the Royal British Legion.
The hope is an audience in the Midlands might be more receptive as more people there voted for Brexit.