INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
North Korea on Saturday fired a long-range missile from its capital into the sea off Japan, according to its neighbors, a day after it
threatened to take strong measures against South Korea and the U.S
over their joint military exercises.According to the South Korean and Japanese militaries, the missile was fired on a high angle, apparently
November, which experts said demonstrated potential to reach the U.S
mainland if fired on a normal trajectory.Japanese government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno said no damage was reported from the missile,
Indo-Pacific Command said the launch did not pose an immediate threat to U.S
personnel, territory, or its allies, the White House National Security Council said it needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing
over an emergency security meeting that accused the North of escalating regional tensions
It denounced North Korea for accelerating its nuclear arms development despite signs of worsening economic problems and food insecurity,
saying such actions would bring only tougher international sanctions.Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tokyo was closely
1, when it test-fired a short-range weapon
It followed a massive military parade in Pyongyang last week, where troops rolled out more than a dozen ICBMs as leader Kim Jong Un watched
capabilities despite limited resources while negotiations with Washington remain stalemated.Those missiles included a new system experts say
A solid-fuel alternative would take less time to prepare and is easier to move around on vehicles, providing less opportunity to be
Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul
demonstrations with more than 70 ballistic missiles fired, including those with potential to reach the U.S
The North also conducted a slew of launches it described as simulated nuclear attacks against South Korean and U.S
tests have been punctuated by threats of preemptive nuclear attacks against South Korea or the United States over what it perceives as a
broad range of scenarios that put its leadership under threat.Kim doubled down on his nuclear push entering 2023, calling for an
Korea and the development of more advanced ICBMs.The North Korean statement on Friday accused Washington and Seoul of planning more than 20
an annual computer-simulated combined training in mid-March
Heo said the countries will also conduct joint field exercises in mid-March that would be bigger than those held in the past few years.South
will also hold a one-day tabletop exercise next week at the Pentagon to sharpen a response to a potential use of nuclear weapons by North
Korea.North Korea has traditionally described U.S.-South Korea military exercises as rehearsals for a potential invasion, while the allies
insist that their drills are defensive in nature.The United States and South Korea had downsized or canceled some of their major drills in
with their alliances with the United States.South Korea has been seeking reassurances that United States will swiftly and decisively use its
nuclear capabilities to protect its ally in face of a North Korean nuclear attack
In expanding its military exercises with South Korea, the United States has also expressed commitment to increase its deployment of
strategic military assets like fighter jets and aircraft carriers to the Korean Peninsula in a show of strength.In December, Japan made a
major break from its strictly self-defense-only post-World War II principle, adopting a new national security strategy that includes
preemptive strikes and cruise missiles to counter growing threats from North Korea, China and Russia.
Source: Associated
