Pyongyang on Monday launched a short-range Ballistic Missile which landed off the coast of Japan; this is the most recent in the series of nuclear tests in defiance to international pressure and sanctions.
The missile was suspected to be a scud class of ballistic weapon which flew around 450km, approximately 280 miles, South Korean officials reported. North Korea is believed to have a massive stockpile of short-range missiles, which were built by the USSR.
The latest scud class missile launch
The test conducted on Monday followed two consecutive medium-range missile launches in the past month by North Korea, which has continuously been conducting such tests at a rapid pace in an attempt to build an ICBM with the capability of striking the U.S.
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Pyongyang is probably showing its resolve to move ahead with nuclear warhead development despite international pressure and threat of sanctions. The latest test was the third missile launch since the swearing in of the liberal South Korean President Moon Jae-in, on May 10. He has repeatedly called for the engagement of the isolated North in dialogue. Moon Jae-in noted that sanctions alone have not yielded positive results judging by the provocative acts of North Korea’s nuclear development program.
Pyongyang's defiance to UN sanctions
North Korea has carried out multiples missile launches and test fired two nuclear bombs since 2016 in flagrant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, and they maintain the nuclear program is imperative to counter America’s aggression.
President Donald Trump had been briefed on the latest test, the White House said. The launch was tracked and it was a short range ballistic missile that lasted for six minutes. After careful assessment, it was confirmed that it posed no threat to the United States, The U.S. Pacific Command said in statement.
Mounting pressure on China to act
The US stated that it was hoping to discuss with their Chinese counterpart, a new draft of the United Nations Security Council resolution. China, North Korea’s main ally and immediate neighbor, need to be reminded that they are running out of time to pressure Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapon program through dialogue.
US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, said that conflict with North Korea would be the worst kind of war in the lifetime of most people. He said this to reporters when asked what a war with Pyongyang would be like should diplomacy fail to resolve the conflict.
