North Korea says it tested long-range cruise missiles

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Associated Press


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North Korea says it successfully test fired what it described as newly developed long-range cruise missiles over the weekend, its first known testing activity in months that underscored how it continues to expand its military capabilities amid a stalemate in nuclear negotiations with the United States.

The Korean Central News Agency said Monday the cruise missiles, which had been under development for two years, successfully hit targets 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) away during its flight tests on Saturday and Sunday. The North hailed its new missiles as a "strategic weapon of great significance" that meets leader Kim Jong Un’s call to strengthen the country’s military might.

The South Korean military didn’t immediately confirm the North Korean tests.

Kim during a congress of the ruling Workers’ Party in January doubled down on his pledge to bolster his nuclear deterrent in the face of U.S. sanctions and pressure and issued a long wish list of new sophisticated assets, including longer-range intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-powered submarines, spy satellites and tactical nuclear weapons.

Talks between the United States and North Korea have stalled since the collapse of a summit between then-President Donald Trump and Kim in 2019, when the Americans rejected the North’s demand for major sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities. Kim’s government has so far rejected the Biden administration’s overtures for dialogue, demanding that Washington abandon its "hostile" policies first.

North Korea ended a yearlong pause in ballistic tests in March by firing two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, continuing a tradition of testing new U.S. administrations with weapons demonstrations aimed at measuring Washington’s response and wresting concessions.

But there hadn’t been any known test launches for months after that as Kim focused national efforts on fending off the coronavirus and salvaging a broken economy damaged further by pandemic border closures.

[DemonGeminiX]

The South Korean military didn’t immediately confirm the North Korean tests.

:-s

Did they confirm them later?

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Doubtful

[Hugh_Janus]

remember, guys... duck and cover

:rip:

[Godfather]

Fuck China, but I hope they deal with this bull and we can stay out of it.

China's little wildcard next door has been cute and self serving, but a NK with long range nukes creates all sorts of hazards for their stability and plans of economic dominance. They're an absolute liability, they risk bringing the US closer to their buffer zone, they could prompt South Korea to build their own nukes... who knows what other headaches.

I hope China does the responsible thing for the world and slaps them down, one way or another. It wouldn't be the SK/NK unification the rest of the world would like to see I'm sure, but better than the Korean War 2.0.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Dom Calicchio | Fox News


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North Korea reportedly fired two ballistic missiles into waters off its east coast Wednesday, in the direction of Japan, prompting Japan's prime minister to denounce the action as "absolutely outrageous," according to reports.

The latest missile firings by North Korea came several days after it reportedly tested newly developed long-range missiles over the weekend, reports said.

"The firings threaten the peace and safety of Japan and the region and are absolutely outrageous," Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said, according to The Associated Press. "The government of Japan is determined to further step up our vigilance and surveillance to be prepared for any contingencies."

South Korea’s Yonhap News reported the latest firing, citing information from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, which were conducting an analysis of the situation, Yonhap reported.

Hours after the North Korean launch, South Korea fired a missile of its own from a submarine in an event that had been scheduled in advance, Yonhap reported.

The U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command also confirmed Wednesday's test in a statement, pledging commitment to America's allies in the region:

"We are aware of the missile launch and are consulting closely with our allies and partners. While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, the missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of the DPRK’s illicit weapons program. The U.S. commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad."
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The Associated Press initially reported that only one projectile had been fired and did not identify it as a ballistic missile, but updated its story around 1:20 a.m. ET Wednesday, claiming as Yonhap did that two ballistic missiles had been fired.

Japan's coast guard said both projectiles landed in international waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, the AP reported.

According to the AP, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the North Korean projectile flew toward the waters of the Korean Peninsula's east coast on Wednesday. It gave no further details.

Wednesday’s development followed reports Monday of North Korean missile tests that occurred over last weekend – tests that ended a yearlong pause in the nation’s testing of projectiles, the AP reported.

North Korea said Monday it tested a newly developed cruise missile twice over the weekend. North Korea's state media described the missile as a "strategic weapon of great significance," implying they were developed with the intent to arm them with nuclear warheads.

Many experts say the North Korean test suggested North Korea is pushing to bolster its weapons arsenal amid a deadlock in nuclear diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington.

The latest launch came as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was in Seoul for meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and other senior officials to discuss the stalled nuclear diplomacy with the North.

Moon said South Korea's government plans to hold an unscheduled national security council meeting later Wednesday, the AP reported.

Talks between the United States and North Korea have stalled since 2019, when the Americans rejected the North's demand for major sanctions relief in exchange for dismantling an aging nuclear facility. Kim's government has so far rejected the Biden administration's overtures for dialogue, demanding that Washington abandon its "hostile" policies first.

The North's resumption of testing activity is likely an attempt at pressuring the Biden administration over the diplomatic freeze after Kim failed to leverage his arsenal for economic benefits during the presidency of Donald Trump.

Fox News' Lucas Y. Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

[lost in melb.]

The moment Trump has gone, back to business :meh:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The moment Trump has gone, back to business :meh:

Nobody fears Biden, or the US any more for that matter, especially after the Afghanistan debacle.

[lost in melb.]

Nobody fears Biden, or the US any more for that matter, especially after the Afghanistan debacle.

And none of your Allies trust the US now. Looking good :tup: