Seoul: North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast early on Sunday, the first such test since US President Donald Trump was elected, and his administration indicated that Washington would have a calibrated response to avoid escalating tensions.
The test was of an intermediate-range missile that landed in the Sea of Japan, according to the US Defence Department, not an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), which the North has said it could test at any time .
The launch came from the same region where Kim Jong-un's regime fired a mid-range Musudan missile last October.
The launch comes as US President Donald Trump met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Florida. North Korea has launched a series of missiles and conducted three nuclear tests since Kim came to power about five years ago.
The launch fits the pattern of North Korea seeking attention around the time of major events in the US.
Kim said on January 1 that his country was in the "last stage" of preparations to test-fire an inter-continental ballistic missile, leading Trump to write on Twitter "It won't happen!".
Kim's announcement also prompted the vow of an "overwhelming" response from US Defence Secretary James Mattis when he travelled to South Korea earlier this month.
The UN Security Council unanimously passed a fresh resolution in late November that tightened sanctions on North Korea, including cutting the country's coal exports , after the regime conducted its fifth nuclear test in September.
A US official said the Trump administration had been expecting a North Korean "provocation" soon after taking office and will consider a full range of options in a response, but these would be calibrated to show US resolve while avoiding escalation.
The new administration is also likely to step up pressure on China to rein in North Korea, reflecting Trump's previously stated view that Beijing has not done enough on this front, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"This was no surprise," the official said. "The North Korean leader likes to draw attention at times like this."
Abe called the launch "absolutely intolerable" and said North Korea must comply with UN Security Council resolutions.
China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday morning.
The missile was launched from an area called Panghyon in North Korea's western region just before 10am Sunday Australian eastern time and flew about 500 kilometres, South Korea's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The North tried to launch a Musudan missile eight times last year but most attempts failed. One launch that sent a missile 400 kilometres, more than half the distance to Japan, was considered a success by officials and experts in South Korea and the US.
Its repeated missile launches have prompted Washington and Seoul to agree to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile battery in South Korea later this year, which is strongly opposed by Beijing, which worries the system's powerful radar undermines its own security.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/north-korea-fires-unidentified-missile-from-its-northwest-20170212-guax6x.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nc&eid=socialn:twi-13omn1677-edtrl-other:nnn-17/02/2014-edtrs_socialshare-all-nnn-nnn-vars-o&sa=D&usg=ALhdy28zsr6qiq

wahala everywhere

Dear NorthKorea , the Evil Americans will never give up if you give up. Americans want you to give up your nuclear weapons so they can threaten you and attack you. Never ever let Evil Americans trick you.

Americans do not have even one honest cell in their bodies. Never ever sit on any negotiation table with Americans. The only purpose Americans have is to disarm you so they can easily threaten you and attack you. Hold on your nuclear weapons and focus all your resources to build more and more nuclear bombs. You should prepare yourself for a day that if Americans throw a stone at you, you eliminate all U.S puppets from the planet.

Onopa:
Dear NorthKorea , the Evil Americans will never give up if you give up. Americans want you to give up your nuclear weapons so they can threaten you and attack you. Never ever let Evil Americans trick you.

Americans do not have even one honest cell in their bodies. Never ever sit on any negotiation table with Americans. The only purpose Americans have is to disarm you so they can easily threaten you and attack you. Hold on your nuclear weapons and focus all your resources to build more and more nuclear bombs. You should prepare yourself for a day that if Americans throw a stone at you, you eliminate all U.S puppets from the planet.

Gentlemen, Pls give this guy a bottle of “Yamskaya Russian Vodka” for speaking the minds of the Irunmoles.

92% of all Amerikans are hypocritical snakes.

Obatala7Kronos:


Gentlemen, Pls give this guy a bottle of “Yamskaya Russian Vodka” for speaking the minds of the Irunmoles.

92% of all Amerikans are hypocritical snakes.