North Korea escalates tension, fires ballistic missile over Japan

Defiant North Korea led by headstrong leader Kim Jong Un fired a ballistic missile that flew over Japan before plunging into the northern Pacific Ocean, in a move described by Japanese prime minister as a “grave threat”.

“Their outrageous act of firing a missile over our country is an unprecedented, serious and grave threat,” Shinzo Abe said.

According to reports, the missile launch appears to be the first to cross over Japan since 2009, and comes amid ongoing annual military drill being carried out between the US and its close ally in the region, South Korea.

Read also: After US peace overture, North Korean leader orders production of more missiles

It is coming two days after Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State revealed that America will keep up ‘peaceful pressure’ on North Korea despite the fact that the pariah nation fired three ballistic missiles this week.

Seven days ago, a United Nations sponsored Conference on Disarmament in Geneva turned out to be a platform for verbal threats as US and North Korean officials clashed over military intentions towards one another.

At the forum, Pyongyang’s envoy declared that it would “never” put its nuclear deterrent on the negotiating table even as U.S. disarmament ambassador Robert Wood fired a warning at North Korea.

Wood told those who cared to listen at the forum that U.S. President Donald Trump’s top priority was to protect the United States and its allies against the “growing threat” from North Korea and America was ready to use “the full range of capabilities” at its disposal.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now