Monitoring Desk<\/p>\n
Japan warns of security threat after three of four ballistic missiles land in its exclusive economic zone
\nJapan has lodged a protest and warned of grave threats to its security after North Korea launched four ballistic missiles on Monday morning, three of which fell into Japanese waters.
\nThe exact type of missile fired was not immediately clear, but South Korea\u2019s military said it was unlikely that they were intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), which can reach the US. An unnamed US official told Reuters that the US saw no indications that an ICBM had been tested.
\nAccording to the military in Seoul, the North fired the unidentified projectiles shortly after 7.30am local time (2230 GMT Sunday) from the Tongchang-ri region near its border with China. The area is home to the North\u2019s Seohae satellite station, where it has conducted banned long-range rocket launches in recent years.
\n\u201cThe latest launches of ballistic missiles clearly demonstrate evidence of a new threat from North Korea,\u201d the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said. \u201cThe launches are clearly in violation of [UN] security council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action.\u201d
\nThe missiles flew about 620 miles (1,000km) before landing in the Sea of Japan \u2013 known as the East Sea in Korea \u2013 with three landing in Japan\u2019s \u201cexclusive economic zone\u201d. A fourth splashed down just outside the EEZ.
\nThree of the missiles landed 186-217 miles (300-350km) from the Oga peninsula in Japan\u2019s Akita prefecture, according to the country\u2019s defence minister, Tomomi Inada.
\nJapan\u2019s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, called the latest missile launch a \u201cgrave threat to national security\u201d but added that there were no reports of damage to ships or aircraft in the area.
\nSouth Korea\u2019s acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn said the launches were a direct challenge to the international community.
\nThe US also condemned the launch, vowing that Washington was ready to \u201cuse the full range of capabilities at our disposal against this growing threat\u201d.
\n\u201cThe United States strongly condemns the DPRK\u2019s ballistic missile launches tonight, which violate UN security council resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea\u2019s launches using ballistic missile technology,\u201d the State Department\u2019s acting spokesman, Mark Toner, said in a statement.
\nHe added: \u201cWe remain prepared \u2013 and will continue to take steps to increase our readiness \u2013 to defend ourselves and our allies from attack, and are prepared to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against this growing threat.\u201d
\nNorth Korea conducted two nuclear tests and 20 missile launches last year \u2013 a sign, say experts, that the country\u2019s leader, Kim Jong-un, is redoubling efforts to develop a nuclear arsenal capable of deterring \u201chostility\u201d from the US and South Korea.
\nIn his New Year\u2019s address, Kim claimed that the North was preparing to test fire an ICBM \u2013 a development that would dramatically raise the diplomatic and security stakes for Washington.
\nThe US defence secretary, James Mattis, warned last month that any nuclear attack on the US or its allies in the Asia-Pacific would trigger an \u201ceffective and overwhelming\u201d response.
\nNorth Korea has carried out five nuclear tests and dozens of missile launches despite six rounds of UN sanctions that began after Pyongyang\u2019s first nuclear test in 2006.
\nConcern is growing that with every new test, North Korea is edging towards developing a fully functioning ICBM that, in theory, could strike the US mainland.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Monitoring Desk Japan warns of security threat after three of four ballistic missiles land in its exclusive economic zone Japan has lodged a protest and warned of grave threats to its security after North Korea launched four ballistic missiles on Monday morning, three of which fell into Japanese waters. The exact type of missile fired […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13975","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n