New missile test by North Korea. Source: KNCA
By Reuters
North Korea has confirmed the successful test of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile which it fired on a high arc into the sea.
This is the first missile test from the country since U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in: Trump had vowed to go tough on the country which tested several missiles in 2016.
North Korea’s KCNA news reported that the country’s leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test of the missile.
The missile is a ‘Pukguksong-2’, a new type of strategic weapon capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
KCNA said the missile was fired at a high angle in consideration of the safety of neighboring countries. A South Korean military source said on Sunday the missile reached an altitude of 550 km (340 miles).
It flew about 500 km towards Japan, landing off the east coast of the Korean peninsula.
The missile was propelled by a solid fuel engine and was an upgraded, extended-range version of its submarine-launched ballistic missile that was tested successfully last August, according to KCNA.
The United States, Japan and South Korea requested urgent U.N. Security Council consultations on the test, with a meeting expected on Monday afternoon, an official in the U.S. mission to the United Nations stated.
Japan said on Monday further sanctions against Pyongyang could be discussed at the United Nations, and called on China to take a “constructive” role in responding to the latest launch.
China is North Korea’s main ally and trading partner but is irritated by Pyongyang’s repeated provocations.
“We have asked China via various levels to take constructive actions as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and we will not stop to work on it.
“At the same time, Japan will not stop to urge North Korea to exercise self-restraint from provocative actions and comply with U.N. resolutions,” Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Monday.
China had yet to comment publicly on the launch on Monday.
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