North Korea tests ballistic missile; U.S. to avoid escalation

[webfact]

North Korea tests ballistic missile; U.S. to avoid escalation

By Ju-min Park and Matt Spetalnick

REUTERS

 

Passengers watch a TV screen broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

 

SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea early on Sunday, the first such test since U.S. President Donald Trump was elected, and his administration indicated that Washington would have a calibrated response to avoid escalating tensions.

 

The test was likely to have been of an intermediate-range Musudan-class missile that landed in the Sea of Japan, according to South Korea's military, not an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), which the North has said it could test at any time.

 

The launch marks the first test of Trump's vow to get tough on an isolated North Korean regime that last year tested nuclear devices and ballistic missiles at an unprecedented rate in violation of United Nations resolutions.

 

A U.S. official said the Trump administration had been expecting a North Korean "provocation" soon after taking office and will consider a full range of options in response, but they would be calibrated to show U.S. resolve while avoiding escalation.

 

Later, White House adviser Stephen Miller said on the television show "Fox News Sunday" that "we are going to reinforce and strengthen our vital alliances in the Pacific region as part of our strategy to deter and prevent the increasing hostility that we've seen in recent years from the North Korean regime."

 

The new administration is also likely to step up pressure on China to rein in North Korea, reflecting Trump's previously stated view that Beijing has not done enough on this front, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

 

"This was no surprise," the official said. "The North Korean leader likes to draw attention at times like this."

 

The latest test comes a day after Trump held a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and also follows Trump's phone call last week with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

 

"I just want everybody to understand, and fully know, that the United States of America is behind Japan, our great ally, 100 percent," Trump told reporters in Palm Beach, Florida, speaking alongside Abe. He made no further comments.

 

Abe called the launch "absolutely intolerable" and said North Korea must comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions.

 

NATO condemned the missile test in a statement by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who said North Korea "must refrain from further provocations, halt all launches using ballistic missile technology and abandon once and for all its ballistic missile programmes ... "

 

The French foreign ministry also condemned the launch, issuing a statement that said "France reaffirms its solidarity with its partners in Asia-Pacific whose security is threatened by the North Korean nuclear and ballistic programme."

 

China is North Korea's main ally but has been frustrated by Pyongyang's repeated provocations, although it bristles at pressure from Washington and Seoul to curb the North and its young leader, Kim Jong Un.

 

China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

Trump and his aides are likely to weigh a series of possible responses, including new U.S. sanctions to tighten financial controls, an increase in naval and air assets in and around the Korean peninsula and accelerated installation of new missile defence systems in South Korea, the administration official said.

 

But the official said that given that the missile was believed not to have been an ICBM and that Pyongyang had not carried out a new nuclear explosion, any response will seek to avoid ratcheting up tensions.

 

"IT WON'T HAPPEN"

 

Trump has pledged a more assertive approach to North Korea but given no clear sign of how his policy would differ from Obama's so-called strategic patience. In January, Trump tweeted "It won’t happen!" after Kim said the North was close to testing an ICBM, but his aides never explained how he would do so.

 

The missile was launched from an area called Panghyon in North Korea's western region just before 8 a.m. (2300 GMT Saturday) and flew about 500 km (300 miles), the South's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

 

"Our assessment is that it is part of a show of force in response to the new U.S. administration's hardline position against the North," the office said in a statement.

 

A South Korean military source said the missile reached an altitude of about 550 km. While Seoul initially said the missile was probably a medium-range Rodong, it later said the launch was likely of a Musudan, which is designed to fly up to 3,000-4,000 km.

 

The North attempted eight Musudan launches last year. Only one of those launches - of a missile that flew 400 km (250 miles) in June - was considered a success by officials and experts in South Korea and the United States.

 

Kim said in his New Year speech that the country was close to test-launching an ICBM and state media have said such a launch could come at any time.

 

The comments prompted a vow of an "overwhelming" response from U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis when he travelled to South Korea earlier this month.

 

Once fully developed, a North Korean ICBM could threaten the continental United States, which is about 9,000 km (5,500 miles) from North Korea. ICBMs have a minimum range of about 5,500 km (3,400 miles), but some are designed to travel 10,000 km (6,200 miles) or more.

 

North Korea conducted two nuclear tests and numerous missile-related tests last year and was seen by experts and officials to be making progress in its weapons capabilities, although until Sunday no ballistic missile launch attempt had been detected since October.

 

Its repeated missile launches prompted Washington and Seoul to agree to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile battery in South Korea later this year, which is strongly opposed by Beijing, which worries the system's powerful radar undermines its own security.

 

Sunday's launch comes at an awkward time for South Korea, where President Park Geun-hye has been stripped of her powers after a December parliamentary vote to impeach her. Her fate will be decided by the Constitutional Court, which is hearing arguments on whether to uphold or overturn the impeachment.

 

(Additional reporting by Jack Kim and Yun Hwan Chae in Seoul, Phil Stewart in Washington, Ayesha Rascoe and Kiyoshi Takenaka in Palm Beach, Elaine Lies in Tokyo, and Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by Tony Munroe and Raju Gopalakrishnan, Larry King)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-02-13

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

they would be calibrated to show U.S. resolve while avoiding escalation.

By following the policies of Obama.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

"we are going to reinforce and strengthen our vital alliances in the Pacific region

TPP would have helped with that strengthening but Trump pulled the US out.

[Grouse]

Trump should make a call to get a robust response from China in exchange for him accepting one China policy. 

 

Actually, I don't think their would be many protests if there was a massive conventional attack on their missile facilities.

 

Right now, the USA looks a paper tiger in NE Asia....

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

and his administration indicated that Washington would have a calibrated response to avoid escalating tensions.

 

The election is over forget all that rhetoric rubbish about dealing with NK. It will be the same old same old status quo. Kim will come out from under Mr Xi' robe and push a launch button and then scurry back underneath and thumb his nose at the Donald. 

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Later, White House adviser Stephen Miller said on the television show "Fox News Sunday" that "we are going to reinforce and strengthen our vital alliances in the Pacific region as part of our strategy to deter and prevent the increasing hostility that we've seen in recent years from the North Korean regime."

Same old sh*t different day. Round and round we go where it stops nobody knows. Republicans doing the same old Democratic two step. Sickening. 

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

But the official said that given that the missile was believed not to have been an ICBM and that Pyongyang had not carried out a new nuclear explosion, any response will seek to avoid ratcheting up tensions.

 

Same old cop out. Its sickening. 

[Enoon]

Just now, elgordo38 said:

Same old cop out. Its sickening. 

 

 

[elgordo38]

2 minutes ago, Enoon said:

 

 

He sure is taking his own words literally. So many desperate people around looking for answers and getting snake oil salesman responses. 

[JacChang]

A 90 year old grandpa from a little village in a soi has told reporters. He also condemns the actions of the North Korean carrying out missile attacks. He also noted that his chickens feel the same way. After the interview, he goes back to plant some seeds.

 

There is no difference between the world leaders and whatnot UN blah blahs to this grandpa.

[JacChang]

Sactions sactions sactions, we are so scared? Useless talks. My heroes the green peace group would probably solve this matter before these talking pumpkins do any real business.

 

We are tallying up the number of deaths in the seas, how many different races of fishes and algaes have been killed. The toxic and poison that has been released into the atmosphere causing the global warming death of the earth. While the superpowers sit and sanction.

[Stargeezr]

If TPP can not do any action, just because the US is not involved, then what good is the TPP.

No teeth, no power!  China needs to tell North Korea to smarten up, and do that publically, on

their international TV channels. 

[Srikcir]

9 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

No teeth, no power!  

A void that China will fill with its promotion of regional trade partnerships, further weakening US security.

[dunroaming]

Actually for once I agree with Trump's response.  Not that he didn't come out and condemn what NK did but he did not rise to the bait. This was a completely expected act and so there are no surprises and no need for a knee jerk response.

[Skeptic7]

Winter Olympics in S Korea next year. Wonder what fun & games the fat little idiot midget up north has planned for the occasion? 

[mike324]

NK threatening the world for tea money again?

[Opl]

 

Enrique Acevedo : This photo taken from my instagram TL seems to capture one of the moments described in this

@CNN piece https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2017/02/12/politics/trump-shinzo-abe-mar-a-lago-north-korea/index.html …

 

Edited February 14, 2017 by Opl