Why North Korea’s Latest Missile Launch Sparks Global Concern
SputnikNews.com
15.05.2017
North Korea claimed it successfully tested a new mid-range ballistic missile on Sunday. The rocket called Hwasong-12 was launched in the vicinity of Kusong, a city in North Pyongan province, flew about 700 kilometers and fell into the Sea of Japan.
Pyongyang said that the missile test was conducted, taking into account the security of neighboring states. According to KCNA, the launched was aimed at “testing the tactical and technical capabilities of a missile of a new type, capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead.”
The agency also quoted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who one again warned the United States against provocative actions and threatened it with a “retaliation strike.”
According to Yonhap, Kim Jong-un personally supervised the launch of the Hwasong-12 surface-to-surface ballistic missile.
The missile fell in the Sea of Japan, just 100 kilometers from the coast of the Primorye Region in Russia.
According to a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry, the missile flew at a large distance and away from Russia’s territory.
“The launch posed no threat to the security of the Russian Federation,” the ministry said.
At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin was on an official visit to a forum in Beijing. Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping expressed concern over Pyongyang’s missile tests. In turn, NATO called the launch a provocation. The Japanese government lodged a protest over the missile test.
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