Yonhap News
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 (Yonhap) — The United States said Sunday it is fully capable of defending against North Korean missiles after the communist nation said it can test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile at any time from any place.
The North’s Foreign Ministry issued the warning earlier Sunday, doubling down on a threat made by leader Kim Jong-un in his New Year’s Day address that the regime has reached the final stage of preparation to test-fire an ICBM apparently capable of reaching the U.S.
“The United States is capable of defending against a North Korean ballistic missile attack. Our recent success in returning to test the upgraded version of the ground-based interceptor will keep us on a good trajectory to improve our defensive capability against limited ballistic missile threats, such as that from North Korea,” said Justin Higgins, press office director at the State Department’s East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau.
“We are continuing to upgrade our ballistic missile defense capability,” he said.
