In another gesture of provocation, North Korea has now test fired a missile that flew over Japan and landed in the sea off Hokkaido and this has been confirmed by the government of Japan. Obviously, the imposition of UN sanctions has not had any effect on Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, and he continues to test his missiles. He wants to keep the whole world on tenterhooks with fears of possible unpleasant repercussions.
Missile flies over Japan
According to The Independent UK, a missile from North Korea flew over Japan and disintegrated into pieces off the coast of Hokkaido.
It was reported that Japan did not make any attempt to shoot it down and the government has advised people in the area to take necessary precautions. There is no report of any damage.
South Korea has confirmed that the Nort fired an unidentified projectile and Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the South Korean and US military were analyzing the launch. The Pentagon has also confirmed the missile test.
Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, has assured his people that he will do everything in his power to protect the public. In the opinion of observers, the latest action of the regime of Kim Jong-un can be interpreted as an act of provocation and the Japanese government has indicated that it could take up the issue with the United Nations and seek protection.
Threats of North Korea
Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, is gradually being pushed into a corner. The imposition of UN sanctions has affected the economy of his country but he wants to carry on with his ambition of developing nuclear missiles. His single-point agenda appears to be to nuke the United States irrespective of consequences and he has identified the island of Guam as a probable target because it is home to a U.S.
military base.
South Korea and U.S. forces are at present carrying out their annual joint exercises and the U.S. has already concluded another military exercise with Japan. Kim Jong-un is of the view that these exercises are preparations for an invasion of his territory and has expressed his anger.
The unpredictable nature of Kim’s regime is a matter of concern for not only the countries in the vicinity.
These are South Korea and Japan who are allies of the U.S. and China which shares a border with North Korea. Then, of course, there is America which is the main target. Leaders of all these countries are trying to evolve a joint strategy to prevent escalation of tension in the region because confrontation with nuclear weapons would mean a global disaster.
