“The launch of this type of ballistic missile is a violation of United Nations resolutions,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in an emergency news briefing. “Japan strongly protests and condemns the action.”The South Korean Ministry of National Defense said it could not confirm whether the missile was launched at sea or from a land-based site. The missile was the longest-range weapon that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s regime has tested since his last intercontinental ballistic missile test in November 2017, a move that might be designed to increase its bargaining leverage. If confirmed, yesterday’s launch would be the first time the regime has fired a missile specifically designed for deployment at sea since 2016. South Korea said the missile might have been from the Pukguksong group of submarine-launched weapons, which have ranges in excess of 1,000km.

Source: Taipei Times October 02, 2019 15:56 UTC