Posted on 02/11/2017 5:22:53 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
(2nd LD) N. Korea fires off ballistic missile toward East Sea: JCS
2017/02/12 09:54
(ATTN: ADDS photo, meaning of North Korea's latest provocation in 2nd and 5th paras, Japan's confirmation of missile launch, NSC meeting in last two paras)
SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired off a ballistic missile in the direction of the East Sea earlier in the day, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Sunday.
It is the first test-firing of a North Korean missile since Donald Trump became U.S. president on Jan. 20., and the country's first provocation in 2017. It appears to be aimed at testing the new U.S. administration's policies toward the communist country.
The type of missile that was fired has not been identified, but it was launched around 7:55 a.m. from Banghyon air base in the western province of North Pyongan Province. The flight path of the missile also has yet to be determined, the JCS said, adding it does not seem to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
"The military is determining if the missile is a modified Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile or the shorter range Rodong missile," a military source said. It flew some 500 kilometers, which is much shorter than the Musudan missile's estimated range of around 3,000 km.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had said the country was close to launching an ICBM in his New Year's Day address. The remark was seen as an apparent threat that Pyongyang was close to acquiring the know-how to strike the continental United States.
In response to the ICBM threat, Trump pledged last month to stop the North from mastering such ICBM capabilities, saying that the North's development of a nuclear missile capable of striking the U.S. "won't happen," though he didn't say how he would prevent it.
There were earlier reports that the North had placed two unidentified missiles on mobile launchers for apparent test-firing.
Meanwhile, the Japanese government confirmed the North's missile test, Kyodo News reported citing a government official.
At 9:30 a.m. Seoul convened a session of the National Security Council.
The good news so far is that no whales, porpoises, sea turtles or fish were killed in this test.
Meanwhile PETA is silent on No. Korea’s attacks on oceanic life.
P!
They're going to get lucky one of these days, and that's the very day they'll sell the design to Iran.
And THEN it's going to get extremely complicated.
Bump
I’m guessing “East Sea” is what North Koreans call the Pacific Ocean.
Sea of Japan. Pretty obvious why they don’t use that. Same idea with Persian Gulf vs Arab Gulf.
Ah! I’d just shoot the damn things down as soon as they take off.
Just need to nuke Pyongyang from orbit, and be done with it.
Trump needs to station an air defence frigate in the area and shoot down the next missle...same with Iran.
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