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North Korea test longest range ballistic missile launch test over Japan to date

North Korea test longest range ballistic missile launch test over Japan to date

North Korea test longest range ballistic missile launch test over Japan to date

Ballistic missile being launched

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  • The missile flew over Japan for the first time in five years.
  • It was the most recent in an ascending cycle of muscular flexing by the U.S., S. Korea, and Japan.
  • The U.S. National Security Council called the launch “destabilizing” and “reckless”.
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North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday for the first time in five years, triggering a warning to seek cover.

Biden and Kishida called the test a menace to the Japanese people and reaffirmed the “ironclad” U.S. commitment to Japan’s defense.

According to a U.S. official, the United States will also request a public meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday to discuss North Korea.

It was the first North Korean missile to follow such a trajectory since 2017. Its 4,600 km (2,850 miles) range was the furthest traveled by a North Korean test missile, which is generally “lofted” into space to avoid passing over neighboring nations.

U.S. and South Korean warplanes simulated bombing a target in the Yellow Sea, and U.S. and Japanese fighter jets conducted combined maneuvers over the Sea of Japan.

When the missile flew over northern Japan and fell into the Pacific Ocean, Japan warned its citizens to take cover and suspended certain rail services.

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It was the most recent instance of an ascending cycle of muscular flexing. On Sept. 23, a U.S. aircraft carrier visited South Korea for the first time since 2018, while North Korea performed five launches in 10 days.

During this time, the U.S., South Korea, and Japan held joint drills, and Vice President Kamala Harris visited the fortified border between the Koreas, accusing the North of weakening security.

North Korea accuses the United States and its allies of threatening it by conducting military exercises and bolstering their defenses.

Recent tests elicited relatively muted reactions from Washington, which is preoccupied with the conflict in Ukraine and other domestic and international concerns.

However, the U.S. military has increased displays of force, and the National Security Council of the White House described the most recent test as “dangerous and reckless.”

Biden and Kishda “confirmed they would continue to closely coordinate their immediate and longer-term response bilaterally, trilaterally with the Republic of Korea, and with the international community,” according to a White House statement.

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“They resolved to continue every effort to limit the DPRK’s ability to support its unlawful ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs,” the document stated.

After Tuesday’s test, a South Korean F-15K jet dropped two guided bombs on a target off its west coast to show precision strike capability.

Japan confirmed it didn’t shoot down the missile, but Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said it wouldn’t rule out any measures, including counterattacks.

Additionally, South Korea stated it would strengthen its military and improve alliance collaboration.

Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, called North Korea’s test “destabilizing” and “reckless.”

The launch breaches resolutions of the United Nations Security Council restricting North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

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Real-world test

Tokyo and Seoul officials reported the missile went 4,500 to 4,600 km (2,850 miles) to 1,000 km (620 miles).

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff claimed it was likely an IRBM launched from Jagang Province. North Korea recently launched “hypersonic” missiles from there.

North Korea debuted the Hwasong-12 IRBM in 2017 as part of a strategy to hit U.S. military outposts in Guam, said Kim Dong-yup, a former South Korean Navy lieutenant who lectures at Kyungnam University.

John Kirby, a spokesperson for national security at the White House, told Fox News that the United States was still analyzing the test “so we can better understand what capabilities they put in the air yesterday.”

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The Hwasong-12 was utilized in 2017 overflying Japan tests, and Kim noted that it was also tested from Jagang in January.

Ankit Panda of the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said North Korea’s scientists could test under more realistic settings.

“Compared to the usual highly lofted trajectory, this allows them to expose a long-range reentry vehicle to thermal loads and atmospheric reentry stresses that are more representative of the conditions they’d endure in real-world use,” he explained.

‘Not productive’

President Yoon Suk-yeol branded the test “reckless” and vowed his country, its friends, and the international community would respond decisively.

Kishida told reporters in Tokyo that North Korea’s actions were inhumane.

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Daniel Kritenbrink, the top U.S. ambassador for East Asia, said the launch over Japan was “not a productive road forward,” but Washington remained open to negotiations.

South Korea’s defense minister, Lee Jong-sup, told parliament North Korea had completed nuclear test preparations and may employ a smaller operable warhead or a device with a more significant yield than in previous tests.

North Korea’s seventh nuclear test is challenging to forecast, but senators briefed by intelligence officials last week indicated a window might be between China’s Communist Party Congress this month and U.S. midterm elections in November.

Kritenbrink said a nuclear test was “likely awaiting a political decision” and warned it would “threaten regional and worldwide stability and security.”

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