North Korea’s state media says leader Kim Jong Un has called for more ballistic missile launches into the Pacific a day after it flew a missile designed to carry a nuclear payload over Japan.
The Latest on North Korea firing a missile over Japan (all times local) :
8: 15 a.m.
North Korea’s state media says leader Kim Jong Un has called for more ballistic missile launches into the Pacific a day after it flew a missile designed to carry a nuclear payload over Japan.
The Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that Kim expressed great satisfaction with the launch, calling it a « meaningful prelude » to containing Guam, the U. S. Pacific territory and military hub.
The agency says Kim said the country needs to conduct more ballistic missile tests to the Pacific to advance the capabilities of its strategic force.
The agency says the missile the North fired Tuesday was the Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile it recently threatened to fire toward Guam.
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7: 15 a.m.
North Korea says leader Kim Jong Un was present for a flight test of an intermediate range missile that flew over Japan.
Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that the missile fired over Japan on Tuesday was the Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile that the North recently threatened to fire into waters near Guam.
The agency says Kim expressed great satisfaction over what the North described as a successful testing and that the North will continue to watch « U. S. demeanors » before it decides on its future actions.
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6: 20 a.m.
The U. N. Security Council is holding an emergency meeting to discuss how to respond to North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile over Japan that came less than a month after the council imposed its toughest-yet sanctions on Pyongyang.
Before the closed-door discussion Tuesday evening at U. N. headquarters, ambassadors from several countries said they hoped the council would generate a unified reaction to the missile test and weigh what next steps to take.
Japanese Ambassador Koro Bessho said Japan feels a need to put more pressure on North Korea but would discuss how to do it.
U. S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said « something serious has to happen » but didn’t specify what.
British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft suggested members need to look at further strengthening of sanctions.
North Korea isn’t a council member.
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1: 33 a.m.
Britain’s prime minister is pledging to join with international partners to pressure North Korea to stop missile tests after a launch over the Japanese island of Hokkaido.
On the eve of a visit to Japan, Prime Minister Theresa May Pyongyang’s missile launch as « reckless provocation. » She will discuss the matter with her counterpart Shinzo Abe.
May says there « will be an emergency meeting of the U. N. Security Council later this afternoon and we will continue to work with our international partners to put pressure on North Korea to stop these illegal tests. »
May says the visit with Abe will give her a chance to « discuss the action that North Korea has taken. »
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11 p.m.:
The U. N. Security Council is expected to hold an emergency meeting Tuesday on North Korea’s firing of a ballistic missile over Japan.
The closed-door discussion is expected in the late afternoon or early evening, after a scheduled discussion on peacekeeping.
U. S. and Japanese representatives said they and their South Korean counterparts requested the North Korea discussion. It comes less than a month after the Security Council approved its toughest-yet sanctions on North Korea. They include bans on exporting coal, iron, lead, and fish and seafood products.
U. S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said the council will discuss « what else is left to do. » She said « something serious has to happen, » but didn’t specify what.
North Korea recently requested a Security Council discussion about U. S.-South Korean military drills it considers a rehearsal for invasion.
In a first, North Korea on Tuesday fired a ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload that flew over U. S. ally Japan and splashed into the northern Pacific Ocean.
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10 p.m.:
U. N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is condemning North Korea’s firing of a ballistic missile over Japan, saying it undermines regional security and stability.
Spokeswoman Eri Kaneko released a statement Tuesday from Guterres, who is traveling in the Middle East. It calls on North Korea to comply fully with its international obligations and « work towards reopening communications channels. »
With a series of sanctions, the U. N. Security Council has called for North Korea to suspend all ballistic missile launches and abandon its nuclear weapons. The latest sanctions were approved earlier this month and are the toughest yet.
They include the banning all North Korean exports of coal, iron, lead, and fish and seafood products.
In a first, North Korea on Tuesday fired a ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload that flew over U. S. ally Japan and splashed into the northern Pacific Ocean.
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9: 30 p.m.:
Germany’s foreign minister has condemned North Korea’s latest missile launch ahead of a meeting with U. S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and says he will offer support for American diplomatic efforts to nudge the North to return to talks.
Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Tuesday he is dismayed by « how brutally » North Korea is violating U. N. resolutions and international law.
He said in a statement that « it is all the more necessary that the international community rigorously implement the existing sanctions » aimed at making North Korea give up its missile and nuclear program.
Gabriel is meeting Tillerson in Washington later Tuesday.
In a first, North Korea on Tuesday fired a ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload that flew over U. S. ally Japan and splashed into the northern Pacific Ocean.
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9: 20 p.m.:
Poland has condemned North Korea’s firing of a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear payload and called on its authorities to « stop the provocative tests. »
Poland currently chairs an international body aiming to regulate activity involving ballistic missiles.
The Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that Poland « strongly condemns the missile test » carried out by North Korea and was especially concerned that the missile flew over another country, Japan.
Poland appealed to the authorities in North Korea to « immediately stop the provocative tests » and to abandon its missile program in a « complete, verifiable and irreversible way. »
It said North Korea’s actions were in violation of the « existing international obligations and were a threat to the security and peace in the region. »
Poland currently heads the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation.
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9: 15 p.m.:
North Korea’s ambassador to the U. N. in Geneva has said defiantly that his country will not « flinch an inch » on the road to building a nuclear force as long as « U. S. hostile policies and nuclear threats continue. »
Hours after North Korea fired a missile over Japan, Ambassador Han Tae Song told a session of the Conference on Disarmament that his country « has every reason to respond with tough countermeasures. »
Han made no direct reference Tuesday to the missile test during the plenary meeting of the U. N. Conference on Disarmament. The United States, South Korea, Japan and many other member states denounced it.
Han repeated North Korea’s criticism of U. S. joint military exercises with South Korea, calling it « a fanatic act of adding fuel to flame. »
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9 p.m.:
China has urged all countries involved in the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula to show restraint and end a « malicious cycle » of escalating tensions.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said increased military pressure from the United States and South Korea has prompted North Korea to respond with more missile tests, which in turn triggered more military pressure on the North.
She said « time has proven that pressure and sanctions cannot solve the root of the problem. »
Hua told a regular daily briefing Tuesday that the only way to solve the standoff is by addressing the legitimate security concerns of all sides in a balanced way through dialogue.
China has proposed that the U. S. and South Korea halt regular joint military exercises, and in return North Korea would freeze its development of nuclear weapons while the two sides hold talks.
In a first, North Korea on Tuesday fired a midrange ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload that flew over U. S. ally Japan and splashed into the northern Pacific Ocean.
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8: 45 p.m.
President Donald Trump says « all options are on the table » after North Korea launched ballistic missiles over Japan.
Trump said in a written statement Tuesday that « threatening and destabilizing actions » only increase North Korea’s isolation in the region and around the world.
The president said North Korea’s actions show « contempt for its neighbors » and that « all options are on the table » in terms of a U.
