Seoul/Washington - North Korea, defying
calls to rein in its weapons programme, fired a ballistic
missile that landed in the sea near Russia on Sunday, days after
a new leader in South Korea came to power pledging to engage
Pyongyang in dialogue.
The U.S. military's Pacific Command said it was assessing
the type of missile that was fired but it was "not consistent
with an intercontinental ballistic missile". The U.S. threat
assessment has not changed from a national security standpoint,
a U.S. official said.
Japanese Defence Minister Tomomi Inada said the missile
could be a new type. It flew for 30 minutes before dropping into
the sea between North Korea's east coast and Japan. North Korea
has consistently test-fired missiles in that direction.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said
the missile landed 97 km (60 miles) south of Russia's
Vladivostok region, prompting the White House to reference
Moscow in a statement about the incident.
"With the missile impacting so close to Russian soil – in
fact, closer to Russia than to Japan – the President cannot
imagine that Russia is pleased," the White House said, referring
to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The launch served as a call for all nations to implement
stronger sanctions against North Korea, it added.
North Korea is widely believed to be developing an
intercontinental missile tipped with a nuclear weapon that is
capable of reaching the United States. Trump has vowed not to
let that happen.
The missile flew 700 km (430 miles) and reached an altitude
of more than 2,000 km (1,245 miles), according to officials in
South Korea and Japan, further and higher than an
intermediate-range missile North Korea successfully tested in
February from the same region of Kusong, northwest of its
capital, Pyongyang.
An intercontinental ballistic missile is considered to have
a range of more than 6,000 km (3,700 miles).
Experts said the altitude reached by the missile tested on
Sunday meant it was launched at a high trajectory, which would
limit the lateral distance it travelled. But if it was fired at
a standard trajectory, it would have a range of at least 4,000
km (2,500 miles), experts said.
Kim Dong-yub of Kyungnam University's Institute of Far
Eastern Studies in Seoul said he estimated a standard trajectory
would give it a range of 6,000 km (3,700 miles).
"The launch may indeed represent a new missile with a long
range," said Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard Smithsonian Center
for Astrophysics, referring to the estimated altitude of more
than 2,000 km (1,240 miles). "It is definitely concerning."
Speaking in Beijing, Dmitry Peskov, Russian President
Vladimir Putin's spokesman, told reporters Putin and Chinese
President Xi Jinping had discussed the situation on the Korean
peninsula, including the latest missile launch, and expressed
"mutual concerns" about growing tensions.
Putin is in Beijing for a conference on a plan for a new
Silk Road. Delegations from the United States, South Korea and
North Korea are also there.
The launch, at 5:27 a.m. Seoul time (2027 GMT Saturday),
came two weeks after North Korea fired a missile that
disintegrated minutes into flight, marking its fourth
consecutive failure since March.
'Clear violation'
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who took office on
Wednesday, held his first National Security Council in response
to the launch, which he called a "clear violation" of U.N.
Security Council resolutions, his office said.
"The president said while South Korea remains open to the
possibility of dialogue with North Korea, it is only possible
when the North shows a change in attitude," Yoon Young-chan,
Moon's press secretary, told a briefing.
Moon won Tuesday's election on a platform of a moderate
approach to North Korea and has said he would be willing to go
to Pyongyang under the right circumstances, arguing dialogue
must be used in parallel with sanctions.
China, North Korea's sole main ally which nevertheless
objects to its weapons programmes, called for restraint and for
no one to exacerbate tension.
"China opposes relevant launch activities by North Korea
that are contrary to Security Council resolutions," China's
foreign ministry said in a statement.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said North Korea's
missile launches were a "grave threat to our country and a clear
violation of U.N. resolutions".
North Korea on Feb. 12 launched a Pukguksong-2 missile, an
upgraded, extended-range version of its submarine-launched
ballistic missile, from the same site.
North Korean attempted but failed to test-launch ballistic
missiles four times in the past two months. It has conducted
various tests since the beginning of last year at an
unprecedented pace. It also conducted its fourth and fifth
nuclear tests last year.
Trump said in an interview with Reuters in April that a
"major, major conflict" with North Korea was possible but he
would prefer a diplomatic outcome. Trump has also said he would
be "honoured" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un under the
right circumstances.
On Saturday, a top North Korean diplomat said Pyongyang was
open to dialogue with the Trump administration under the right
conditions.