North Korea Fires Long-Range Missile, South Korea and Japan Meet to Discuss Threat
This post is also available in: 
עברית (Hebrew)
North Korea fired a long-range missile on Wednesday while leaders of South Korea and Japan were set to meet during the NATO summit to discuss the rising threats of the nuclear-armed North.
This launch followed recent heated statements and complaints from North Korea, accusing American spy planes of violating airspace in its economic zones and condemning a recent visit to South Korea by an American nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine.
According to Japan’s Coast Guard, the apparently ballistic missile flew for 74 minutes to an altitude of 6,000 km and range of 1,000 km, which according to a Japanese defense official would be the longest-ever flight time for a North Korean missile.
Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stated- “We will respond in close cooperation with the international community,” and added that the launch threatened the peace and stability both of the region and the international community.
According to Reuters, North Korea test-fired its first ever solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) this year and conducted a failed attempt to launch its first-ever spy satellite on a new launch vehicle. United Nations Security Council resolutions ban North Korea’s use of ballistic missile technology, including for satellite launches. The Security Council, as well as several nations, have imposed sanctions on North Korea for its missile and nuclear weapons programs.
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, has accused a U.S. military spy plane of entering the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone eight times, state media reported.
“Kim Yo Jong’s bellicose statement against U.S. surveillance aircraft is part of a North Korean pattern of inflating external threats to rally domestic support and justify weapons tests, said Leif-Eric Easley, an international studies professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.
This information was provided by Reuters.
