On Sunday #North Korea sent an intermediate ballistic missile over the North Korean peninsula as a new president took to his throne in the country of #South Korea. The new South Korean president was faced with one of his first diplomatic tests with his northern neighbor in an ongoing military and diplomatic saga that has encompassed relations with the United States, China and Russia.
The missile blasted off from #Kusong, a city on the northwest side of North Korea, and went as far as 430 miles before it took a nose dive into the waters between North Korea and Japan, this according to the South Korean military reports that were broadcast later that day.
It is still unclear what sort of missile it was, even though the South Korean military are still analyzing the data to attempt to find this out. The missile follows dozens of nuclear warhead tests sent by #Pyongyang in their extended efforts to develop their nuclear arsenal.
The #White House said in an official statement that North Korea had been “a flagrant menace for far too long,” and that the missile experiment existed “as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions” against the North Korean government, the head of which is a man named Kim Jung-un. The White House also said that the US is firm in their 'commitment to stand with our allies in the face of the serious threat posed by North Korea.'
The long-range missile fell in much closer proximity to #Russia than it did to Japan, and the White House was careful to warn the North Korean president – Kim Jung-un – that they cannot" imagine that Russia is pleased” with the outcome of the test.
Cold war allies
Russia is an old Cold War-epoch ally of #Pyongyang and serves as a member of the group of countries – called the six-nations – who aim to persuade North Korea to cease and resist using its nuclear arsenal in exchange for some internationally diplomatic and economic benefits. This six nation-forum was started in in 2003, but has lied dormant since 2008 when Obama took office and when the North escalated their nuclear developments.
The #intercontinental ballistic missile sent toward Russia on Sunday stretched to a height beyond 1,245 miles during its half-hour travelling time, according to the Japanese government who was recording its progress. The Japanese observation and data, along with South Korea's findings that that the projectile traveled a distance of 430 miles, proved that it was indeed what is called an intermediate-range ballistic missile that could potentially reach and destroy some strategic United States military bases in places such as Guam, according to missile experts.
The missile launch was taking place as North Korea's strongest supporter, China, was accommodating delegations from countries throughout the globe at its “One Belt One Road” forum that was taking place in the Chinese city of Beijing. There was in attendance a North Korean delegation, with the North Korean trade minister representing the country and taking great efforts to keep a low profile.
The Chinese President Xi Jinping and also the Russian President #Vladimir Putin who also attended the meeting, engaged in a detailed discussion about the North Korean-United States situation. A quote from the Russian media agency Interfax said that the two countries discussed their mutual concerns about the international situation and about the escalating tensions.
Only hours after the United States President Trump’s commentary about the proximity of the ballistic missile to Russia, Russia’s Defense Ministry broadcast a message that the North Korean missile didn’t serve to endanger Russia since it flew a while from the coast, according to Interfax.
