Business Insider:
Following North Korea’s latest round of audacious ballistic-missile tests, the 15-member UN Security Council met at Japan’s request on Wednesday.
A simultaneous launch of two “No Dong” intermediate-range ballistic missiles near the western city of Hwangju was detected by US Strategic Command (STRATCOM). One of the missiles exploded immediately after launch, while the other was tracked over North Korea before ultimately landing in the Sea of Japan.
“The missile landed within Japan’s exclusive economic zone. There was no warning whatsoever,” Japan’s UN ambassador, Koro Bessho, told reporters. “It is certainly a major, major problem for the security and safety of our region.”
North Korea’s first missile that landed in or near Japanese-controlled waters. Reuters
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined that the missiles posed no threat to the US.
But, according to a statement, NORAD, STRATCOM, US Northern Command, and US Pacific Command would “remain vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations and are fully committed to working closely with our Republic of Korea and Japanese allies to maintain security.”
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described the launch as a “grave threat” to Japan and said Tokyo “strongly protested.” Japan also said its self-defence force would remain on alert in case of further defiant launches from the rogue nation.
The US State Department condemned the Hermit Kingdom’s launch, saying it violates “multiple UN Security Council resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea from using ballistic missile technology.”
“What our focus has been is working with other like-minded partners in the region, certainly that includes China, in trying to ensure that these sanctions are implemented to the full extent possible so that the DPRK, the North Korean regime, feels the squeeze,” State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said.
