Page 9 - ARUBA TODAY

A9
WORLD NEWS Monday 22 May 2017

North Korea fires medium-range missile in latest weapon test

KIM TONG-HYUNG any other missile previous-
Associated Press ly tested by North Korea,
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — and that it could one day
In its latest effort to devel- reach targets as far away
op its ballistic and nuclear as Hawaii and Alaska.
weapons, North Korea Under the watch of third-
fired a medium-range mis- generation dictator Kim
sile Sunday that appeared Jong Un, North Korea has
to be similar to one the been pursuing a decades-
country tested earlier this long goal of putting a nu-
year, U.S. and South Kore- clear warhead on an inter-
an officials said. continental ballistic missile
The rocket was fired from capable of reaching the
an area near the North Ko- U.S. mainland.
rean county of Pukchang, North Korea conducted
in South Phyongan Prov- two nuclear tests last year
ince, and flew eastward alone, possibly improving
about 500 kilometers (310 its ability to make nuclear
miles), South Korea’s Joint weapons small enough to
Chiefs of Staff said. The U.S. fit on long-range missiles.
Pacific Command said it The country has also con-
tracked the missile before ducted a slew of rocket
it fell into the sea. launches as it continues to
White House officials trav- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, speaks to reporters on the latest missile launch test advance its arsenal of bal-
by North Korea, at his official residence in Tokyo Sunday, May 21, 2017.
eling in Saudi Arabia with Associated Press listic weapons, which in-
President Donald Trump clude midrange solid-fuel
said the system that was fore crashing into the sea, of applying the econom- to the world” that tramples missiles that could be fired
tested had a shorter range according to South Korean ic pressure as well as the international efforts to re- from mobile land launch-
than the missiles fired in and U.S. officials. diplomatic pressure to the solve the North Korean ers or submarines.
North Korea’s most recent The February launch, the regime in North Korea,” Til- nuclear and missile prob- If North Korea did indeed
tests. The missile appeared North’s first missile test after lerson said. “Hopefully they lems peacefully. He vowed fire the Pukguksong-2
to be similar in range and Trump took office, alarmed will get the message that to bring up the issue at this again, it might be part of
maximum altitude to the neighbors because solid- the path of continuing their week’s G-7 summit in Italy. attempts to stabilize the
missile that North Korea fuel missiles can be fired nuclear arms program is At the United Nations, dip- system before operation-
test-fired in February, an faster than liquid-fuel mis- not a pathway to security lomats from the U.S., Japan ally deploying the missiles,
official from South Korea’s siles, which need to be fu- or certainly prosperity. The and South Korea said they said Kim Dong-yub, an an-
Joint Chiefs of Staff said. eled before launch and ongoing testing is disap- requested a Security Coun- alyst at Seoul’s Institute for
The missile launched on require a larger number pointing. It’s disturbing.” cil consultation on the mis- Far Eastern Studies.
Sunday reached an alti- of vehicles, including fuel South Korea’s new presi- sile test. The closed discus- Kim said there’s also a
tude of 560 kilometers (347 trucks. Those vehicles could dent, Moon Jae-in, held a sion will take place Tues- possibility that the North is
miles), said the official, who be spotted by satellites. National Security Council day. The diplomats spoke conducting engine tests
spoke on condition of ano- In an interview with meeting to discuss Sun- on condition of anonym- and other experiments as
nymity, citing office rules. “Fox News Sunday,” U.S. day’s launch, which came ity because the meeting it pushes for the develop-
The February test involved Secretary of State Rex Tiller- hours after he named had not been officially an- ment of a solid-fuel inter-
using a launch truck to son said it was too early to his new foreign minister nounced. continental ballistic mis-
fire a solid-fuel missile know whether diplomatic nominee and top advis- The launch came a week sile that could potentially
that North Korea calls the and economic pressures ers for security and foreign after North Korea success- reach the U.S. mainland.
Pukguksong (Polaris)-2, a being exerted on the North policy. He did not make a fully tested a new mid- If the North ever obtains
land-based version of a Korean government are public statement after the range missile that it said a solid-fuel ICBM, it would
submarine-launched mis- having an impact in the meeting. could carry a heavy nu- likely be a rocket pow-
sile the country revealed wake of the latest missile In Tokyo, Japanese Prime clear warhead. Experts ered by a cluster of several
earlier. That missile traveled test. Minister Shinzo Abe called said that rocket flew higher Pukguksong-2 engines, Kim
about 500 kilometers be- “We’re early in the stages the launch a “challenge and for a longer time than said.q