North Korean missile ‘could hit US mainland’
NORTH Korea has fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) - which landed near Japanese waters.
It is its second major weapons test this month which showed a potential ability to launch nuclear strikes on all of the US mainland.
The United States quickly condemned the launch and vowed to take “all necessary measures” to guarantee the safety of its mainland and allies South Korea and Japan.
Vice president Kamala Harris will separately meet with leaders of allies, who are attending a regional forum in Bangkok, to discuss the recent ballistic missile launch.
“We strongly condemn these actions and we again call for North Korea to stop further unlawful, destabilising acts.
“On behalf of the United States, I reaffirm our ironclad commitment to our Indo-Pacific alliances,” Ms Harris said at the start of the meeting.
“Together the countries represented here will continue to urge North Korea to commit to serious and sustained diplomacy.”
The North’s ongoing torrid run of weapons tests aims to advance its nuclear arsenal and win greater concessions in eventual diplomacy, and the launches come as China and Russia have opposed US moves to toughen sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea’s nuclear programme.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the ICBM launch from North Korea’s capital region around 10.15am and the weapon flew toward the North’s eastern coast across the country.
Japan said the ICBM appeared to have flown on a high trajectory and landed west of Hokkaido.
According to South Korean and Japanese estimates, the North Korean missile flew about 3,6003,790 miles at a maximum altitude of 620 miles.
Japanese defence minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters the altitude suggests the missile was launched on a high angle.
He said depending on the weight of a warhead to be placed on the missile, the weapon has a range exceeding 9,320 miles, “in which case it could cover the entire mainland United States”.
US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said the launch “needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilising” regional security while showing the North’s prioritising of unlawful weapons programmes over the well-being of its people.