Post by Andrei Tchentchik on Mar 12, 2020 19:44:51 GMT 2
(.#B.030).- North Korea fires projectiles, possible ballistic missiles.
North Korea fires projectiles, possible ballistic missiles.
PHOTO KCNA, VIA REUTERS
(Seoul) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw another exercise involving "long-range artillery", the North Korean state agency KCNA reported on Tuesday after Japan announced that Pyongyang had fired what appeared to be ballistic missiles.
Posted on March 09, 2020 at 6:53 p.m. Share
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
This is the second similar announcement by North Korea in a week, when disarmament talks with the United States have stalled.
Kim "supervised a new strike test with long-range artillery" and "appreciated the forces' perfect combat readiness", according to KCNA.
PHOTO KCNA, VIA REUTERS
Kim Jong Un
North Korea fired several projectiles on Monday, identified by Tokyo as possible ballistic missiles, a few weeks after Pyongyang ended its moratorium on long-range missile testing.
It’s the second shooting exercise in a week. On March 2, North Korea had already fired two projectiles, Seoul judging that they were probably short-range ballistic missiles.
The launches come as negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic programs are stalled. North Korea had given the United States until the end of 2019 to make new proposals.
On Monday, "it seems that (Pyongyang) has conducted test fire involving different types of multiple rocket launchers," the South Korean Joint Staff (JCS) said, "deeply regretting" the action.
The JCS had initially reported "three projectiles", before changing its description to evoke "multiple" shots.
According to him, the projectiles were launched from the Sondok region, on the east coast, towards the Sea of Japan in a northeast direction, to travel 200 km at an altitude of up to 50 km. It is a shorter distance than the March 2 shootings, but at a higher altitude.
For its part, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that North Korea had launched what appear to be "ballistic missiles" - which is strictly prohibited in Pyongyang by resolutions of the UN Security Council.
"The repeated launchings of projectiles like ballistic missiles are a serious problem for the international community, including our country," reacted shortly after the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before the Parliament.
"New stage"
Attending an emergency meeting, members of the South Korean government said the shooting "did not contribute" to peace efforts in the region.
The peninsula had experienced remarkable relaxation in 2018, illustrated by historic meetings between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump.
But negotiations on denuclearization have stalled since the second summit between the two leaders, in February 2019 in Hanoi.
Pyongyang carried out a series of shots at the end of last year, the last of which was in November, sometimes speaking of ballistic missile fire or a test of the "multiple launch system for large caliber guided rockets". She also tested an engine in December.
In the process, Mr. Kim announced in late December the end of the moratorium on nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. He also threatened to demonstrate a "new strategic weapon".
If confirmed, the launch of three missiles on Monday by a single tractor-erector-launcher (TEL) marks the crossing of "a new stage" in the North Korean short-range missile program, reacted on Twitter Ankit Panda, of the Federation of American Scientists, an NGO monitoring nuclear risks.
"Kim continues to test, improve and operationalize her strengths," said Vipin Narang, a researcher from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"Barking Scared Dog"
After the March 2 testing, state media in North Korea reported that Kim Jong-un had supervised a "long-range artillery fire".
They also published snapshots of multiple rocket launcher batteries, as well as several photographs of a large-caliber rocket fired into a forest.
Kim Yo Jong, sister of Kim Jong-un and one of her closest advisers, then called Seoul’s protests against the military trials "genuinely insane," comparing the criticism to "barking a scared dog."
A virulent tone which contrasts with the personal message of "comfort" sent last week by Mr. Kim himself to the South Koreans, struggling with the new coronavirus. South Korea is behind China and Italy is the country most affected by the epidemic.
Conversely, North Korea, which has closed its borders and adopted drastic containment measures, has so far not announced any confirmed cases of contamination on its soil.
F I N .
North Korea fires projectiles, possible ballistic missiles.
PHOTO KCNA, VIA REUTERS
(Seoul) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw another exercise involving "long-range artillery", the North Korean state agency KCNA reported on Tuesday after Japan announced that Pyongyang had fired what appeared to be ballistic missiles.
Posted on March 09, 2020 at 6:53 p.m. Share
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
This is the second similar announcement by North Korea in a week, when disarmament talks with the United States have stalled.
Kim "supervised a new strike test with long-range artillery" and "appreciated the forces' perfect combat readiness", according to KCNA.
PHOTO KCNA, VIA REUTERS
Kim Jong Un
North Korea fired several projectiles on Monday, identified by Tokyo as possible ballistic missiles, a few weeks after Pyongyang ended its moratorium on long-range missile testing.
It’s the second shooting exercise in a week. On March 2, North Korea had already fired two projectiles, Seoul judging that they were probably short-range ballistic missiles.
The launches come as negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic programs are stalled. North Korea had given the United States until the end of 2019 to make new proposals.
On Monday, "it seems that (Pyongyang) has conducted test fire involving different types of multiple rocket launchers," the South Korean Joint Staff (JCS) said, "deeply regretting" the action.
The JCS had initially reported "three projectiles", before changing its description to evoke "multiple" shots.
According to him, the projectiles were launched from the Sondok region, on the east coast, towards the Sea of Japan in a northeast direction, to travel 200 km at an altitude of up to 50 km. It is a shorter distance than the March 2 shootings, but at a higher altitude.
For its part, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that North Korea had launched what appear to be "ballistic missiles" - which is strictly prohibited in Pyongyang by resolutions of the UN Security Council.
"The repeated launchings of projectiles like ballistic missiles are a serious problem for the international community, including our country," reacted shortly after the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before the Parliament.
"New stage"
Attending an emergency meeting, members of the South Korean government said the shooting "did not contribute" to peace efforts in the region.
The peninsula had experienced remarkable relaxation in 2018, illustrated by historic meetings between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump.
But negotiations on denuclearization have stalled since the second summit between the two leaders, in February 2019 in Hanoi.
Pyongyang carried out a series of shots at the end of last year, the last of which was in November, sometimes speaking of ballistic missile fire or a test of the "multiple launch system for large caliber guided rockets". She also tested an engine in December.
In the process, Mr. Kim announced in late December the end of the moratorium on nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. He also threatened to demonstrate a "new strategic weapon".
If confirmed, the launch of three missiles on Monday by a single tractor-erector-launcher (TEL) marks the crossing of "a new stage" in the North Korean short-range missile program, reacted on Twitter Ankit Panda, of the Federation of American Scientists, an NGO monitoring nuclear risks.
"Kim continues to test, improve and operationalize her strengths," said Vipin Narang, a researcher from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"Barking Scared Dog"
After the March 2 testing, state media in North Korea reported that Kim Jong-un had supervised a "long-range artillery fire".
They also published snapshots of multiple rocket launcher batteries, as well as several photographs of a large-caliber rocket fired into a forest.
Kim Yo Jong, sister of Kim Jong-un and one of her closest advisers, then called Seoul’s protests against the military trials "genuinely insane," comparing the criticism to "barking a scared dog."
A virulent tone which contrasts with the personal message of "comfort" sent last week by Mr. Kim himself to the South Koreans, struggling with the new coronavirus. South Korea is behind China and Italy is the country most affected by the epidemic.
Conversely, North Korea, which has closed its borders and adopted drastic containment measures, has so far not announced any confirmed cases of contamination on its soil.
F I N .
