North Korea tests fist intercontinental ballistic missile
ADVERTISEMENTNorth Korea has tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile, which according to state media is powerful enough to reach the US mainland.
Leader Kim Jong Un called it a “package of gifts” for “American bastards.”
#NorthKorea appeared to use a #Chinese truck originally sold for hauling timber to transport and erect a missile: https://t.co/wxxdpCkUhypic.twitter.com/QY19w97QGD
— Victims of Communism (@VoCommunism) July 5, 2017
Pyongyang boasted the missile called Hwasong-14 was able to transport a “large-sized heavy nuclear warhead.”
MORE: North Korea says it won’t negotiate unless the U.S. scraps threats as South orders missile firing drill https://t.co/FRxQylxSokpic.twitter.com/ZfX6yNZXNH
— Bloomberg (@business) July 4, 2017
Closest ally China voiced its opposition to the tests.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang reacted to the test:“China urges North Korea not to take actions that will violate U.N. Security Council resolutions. The foreign ministries of China and Russia have issued a joint statement on North Korea’s nuclear issue, in which China and Russia expressed serious concern over the relevant launch activities.”
Donald Trump took to Twitter to take a swipe at the amount of trade between Beijing and Pyongyang.
Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us – but we had to give it a try!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 5, 2017
In response South Korea launched a series of military exercises.
World powers appear in quanadry as to what to do about Kim Jong Un’s inextricable march to his goal of a nuclear arsenal.
Even the most limited military strike on Pyongyang will result in a bloodbath in South Korea as the north has thousands of artillery battalions positioned along its border 56 kilometers from the south.