North Korea fired a ballistic missile into nearby seas on Sunday, drawing a joint rebuke from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Abe, speaking at a briefing with Trump in Florida, said the missile test “can absolutely not be tolerated” and called on North Korea to fully comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions. The launch was the first provocation by North Korea since Trump took office.
“The United States of America stands behind Japan, its great ally, 100 percent,” Trump said in brief remarks. Neither Abe nor Trump took questions.
Kim Jong Un’s regime has accelerated North Korea’s efforts to develop nuclear weapons and missiles that can strike the U.S. and its allies in Asia. In response, the U.S. plans to deploy a missile defense system known as Thaad in South Korea, a move opposed by China, North Korea’s primary ally.
The missile test came amid signs that Trump -- having previously chided Japan for what he said was an insufficient contribution to the cost of housing U.S. troops there -- is seeking to reset his relationship with Abe. While Pyongyang may not have timed the launch specifically to send a signal to the new U.S. administration, it allowed Abe and Trump to present a collective response.
Even as he continues to criticize Japan for its trade and currency policies, Trump promised during his meeting with Abe in Washington last week that the countries’ military alliance covers East China Sea islands that are disputed with China. That suggests a greater recognition that the U.S. needs Japan’s assistance in North Asia for two things: To act as a buffer against China and to help pressure Kim over his nuclear ambitions.
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South Korea’s military said the missile was launched at 7:55 a.m. local time from North Korea’s northwest, the same region where the regime fired a mid-range Musudan missile last October. It flew 500 kilometers (310 miles) into its East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said in a text message.
Trump had vowed last month to prevent the country from developing the capability to strike the U.S. with a missile.
U.S. Cooperation
The U.S. Strategic Command said in a statement that Pyongyang launched a medium- or intermediate-range ballistic missile, which posed no threat to North America. South Korea’s presidential security adviser Kim Kwan Jin called U.S. counterpart Michael Flynn after the launch, the Blue House said in a statement. They agreed to cooperate on ways to deter North Korea, it said.
The range of the missile fired on Sunday, if confirmed, is greater than an intermediate-range Musudan missile that North Korea fired last year, according to Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute.
Accelerating Thaad
“The North’s improvement in missile capability shown today will be met by the Trump administration’s strong opposition and will likely accelerate the Thaad deployment in South Korea,” Cheong said. “That would, of course, trigger a backlash by China, which will likely retaliate against South Korea further.”
North Korea fired at least 25 projectiles last year, according to the UN, which bans it from pursuing ballistic missile technology because it could be used to deliver nuclear warheads. Pyongyang also detonated two nuclear devices in 2016.
Kim said on Jan. 1 that his country was in the “last stage” of preparations to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile, leading Trump to write on Twitter, “It won’t happen!” Trump did not give specifics of how he’d stop Kim’s missile development.
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. Australia, which co-sponsored the resolution, will consider further sanctions, it said in a statement on Sunday.
Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada told reporters on Sunday in comments carried by NHK that the ministry will continue to gather information about the latest test. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan would look to strengthen cooperation on information sharing with the U.S. and South Korea, Kyodo reported.
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