The North Korea-US Confrontation

i dont really think that US will start a war next to chinese borders. All these are Kim and Trump show for his own purposes each one of them

I think its possible we might be entering a new stage here. Sure trump needs to divert attention away from his 100 days of failure but we are also seeing signals from china that they may stab nk in the back

China needs an obedient stable buffer state. Not an independent country (nk currently). They might sell him down the river ..
China-North Korea (China uses NK as leverage for it's Pacific expansion) for example.


The west coast nk oil fleet has been stationary for 2 months indicating reduced oil supply to nk. They also turning back coal. Added to statements we seen coming from china that nk interests dont align with chinese and kim purging his ranks of those with chinese connections we could be seeing something develop. A fundamental shift from the past.


I.e. until 1991 soviet union ans china keep nk going for ideological and other reasons. Following collapse communism bill clinton was going to bomb them then cut a deal with nk that neither side honoured. Then in early 2000s next stage in relationship/conflict was sunshine policy that didn't work so they try sanctions now this not work.


So they try new stratergy i.e. exploit a split between china and nk to get china to do work for them.


So trump give china a choice either you replace kim regime and you can have your northern buffer state under your control as long it not got nukes or we will go with plan B of limited bombing. Hes calling in world leaders like done before iraq in 2003. 


Kim in difficult position then, threat of china from north to replace him or attack from america that limited. But then how does he respond? If he launches all out war as is current policy then usa just trick him into committing suicide.


If he reapond with no use nuclear or wmd or missiles and only limited 10 minute artillery bombardment of soul then that throws the ball back in usa/rok court about what to do and world media go against usa for causing nk to attack and cause thousands dead and billions damage.


World sue for peace and america shame into backdown, maybe


Article written by former us secretary about what opening week of war between north and south look like if nk feel their existance in danger - would make for an excellent war book to read if it was not real


https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/512138/North-Korea-invasion-plan-South-Korea-USA-Japan-DMZ/amp 



I guess what i am trying to say is that i think we have moved to a new phase in this confrontation, one where usa is trying to persuade china to flip against nk as an alternative to usa - nk war and km is in real danger if china does decide regime change is needed. I hope im wrong but i dont think i am


https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/news/2181286/north-korea-brings-halt-to-200m-bridge-project-over-fears-chinese-will-invade-with-hundreds-of-tanks/amp/ 

Russia trying to enter as power broker in korea conflict

[size=32]While many analysts have assumed that Russia’s deepened alliance with North Korea is a merely a symbolic display of anti-American defiance, a closer examination of Russian conduct reveals a more far-reaching strategic agenda. If Moscow proves to be an effective mediator in the Korean peninsula, Putin will be able to entrench Russia’s position as a major powerbroker in the Asia-Pacific region for years to come.[/size]


[size=32]http://thediplomat.com/2017/02/russias-love-affair-with-north-korea/[/size]

Apparently of fhe 15 - 20000 artillery pieces nk has only 700 are in range of soeul

http://m.dailykos.com/story/2017/4/25/1656090/-North-Korean-artillery-and-the-concept-of-flattening-Seoul-a-breakdown 

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/could-north-korea-annihilate-seoul-its-artillery-20345?page=2

Interesting articles showing multiple ways north korea can defend itself

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-skeptics/would-america-really-invade-north-korea-19654

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/03/18/world/asia/us-north-korea-weapons.html?referer=https://www.google.com.au/ 


Interesting asymmetric ways nk could deploy its nukes without reliance on missile technology;

[size=31]Even without long-range missiles, they can simply float atomic bombs into U.S. harbors aboard innocuous-looking commercial freighters. No anti-missile shield can stop them from wiping out big parts of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, or Houston in response to a U.S. attack.[/size]
[size=31]Back in 2000, reporter Sydney Freedberg, Jr., called attention to the near impossibility of detecting a shielded bomb packed into one of the 45,000 shipping containers that enter the United States every day. “Hiding a bomb there would be a lethal needle in a huge haystack,” he remarked.[/size]
[size=31]Although major U.S. ports have since installed radiation detectors to prevent bombs from being smuggled into their waters, “if there is highly enriched uranium metal that’s shielded and below the water line, it’s going to be really tough to detect at long range,” said Matthew Bunn, an expert on nuclear terrorism at Harvard University.[/size]
[size=31]Even a small bomb detonation would do immense damage. A 2003 study by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Transportation concluded that “The economic impact of even a single nuclear terrorist attack on a major U.S. seaport would be very great . . . A successful attack would create disruption of U.S. trade valued at $100-$200 billion, property damage of $50-$500 billion, and 50,000 to 1,000,000 lives could be lost. Global and long-term effects, including the economic impacts of the pervasive national and international responses to the nuclear attack . . . are believed to be substantially greater.”[/size]
[size=31]Three years later, experts at the RAND Corporation conducted an even deeper analysis of a simulated terrorist attack on the Port of Long Beach with a 10-kiloton nuclear bomb, which is well within the yield of North Korea’s current weapons. Among the plausible outcomes it described:[/size]
[size=31]–“Sixty thousand people might die instantly from the blast itself or quickly thereafter from radiation poisoning.[/size]
[size=31]–“One-hundred-fifty thousand more might be exposed to hazardous levels of radioactive water and sediment from the port, requiring emergency medical treatment.[/size]
[size=31]— “The blast and subsequent fires might completely destroy the entire infrastructure and all ships in the Port of Long Beach and the adjoining Port of Los Angeles.[/size]
[size=31]— “Six million people might try to evacuate the Los Angeles region.[/size]
[size=31]— “Two to three million people might need relocation because fallout will have contaminated a 500-km2 area.[/size]
[size=31]— “Gasoline supplies might run critically short across the entire region because of the loss of Long Beach’s refineries — responsible for one-third of the gas west of the Rockies.[/size]
[size=31]— “The early costs of the Long Beach scenario could exceed $1 trillion, driven by outlay(s) for medical care, insurance claims, workers’ compensation, evacuation, and construction.”[/size]

[size=33]https://consortiumnews.com/2017/03/25/risks-to-us-from-war-on-north-korea/ [/size]

South front detailed analysis of north korea military. One interesting quote "[size=32]Pyongyang’s air force is a paper tiger."[/size]



[size=32]"When considering how much the conventional forces of North Korea have deteriorated, and in light of the limited economic means of the country, it becomes readily apparent that Pyongyang is betting everything on developing a viable ICBM that can deliver a nuclear payload to targets further afield than the Korean peninsula. The North Korean leadership, with Kim Jong-un at the helm, is sparing no expense to develop a viable nuclear deterrent to shield it from the superior conventional warfare capabilities of South Korea"[/size]

[size=34]https://southfront.org/north-korea-vs-south-korea-comparison-of-military-capabilities-what-would-new-war-in-korea-look-like/[/size]

[size=32]The chinese have are the key to stripping north korea of independence as a nation. And they will only act in response to potential instability along their border, which Trump is threatening to unleash.[/size][size=32]The neo-cons believe they can bluff the fat kid into submission via China.[/size] 


in this situation they are putting Kim into a box.  China is considering cutting off oil to NK, and further economic sanctions.  At some point Kim is going to lose control unless he backs down or fights.  Fighting would be crazy in the sense that he can't win.  He can kill a lot of people, but the end game for him is to go out in a blaze of glory or bend over.  Kim's bargaining tool since he obtained nukes was that responsible leaders are not willing to risk millions of lives in a situation like this, even if they think the odds are pretty good that Kim will bend over. 

The play here is to give China an incentive to action on DPRK. Until that happens, the U.S.is left only with either accepting nk as a legitimate country and soverign nuclear power (bad for proliferation control despite israel and Pakistan hypocrisy by usa) which wont happen cause they are not our client or all out war which koreans and japanese will mostly pay for rather than usa.



North Korea satellite EMP threat, even with there crude nukes and missiles they can still get one high enough to do EMP attack at this stage, quite impressive
[size=32]http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/apr/24/r-james-woolsey-peter-vi...[/size]
last one was by: [size=32]R. James Woolsey was director of the Central Intelligence Agency and is chairman of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Peter Vincent Pry is executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security.[/size]
 [size=32]hadn't really considered that the "Failed" missle launches from NK were practice shots to put a Nuke high enough to cause an EMP over the adversary....scary. [/size][size=32]I will say it is brilliant on their part if all the failed tests are just a ruse.[/size]


Kim is very much Washington’s ‘useful idiot' to justify [size=32]I suspect is to legitimize deploying of THAAD, which is actually against China and Russia.[/size][size=32]Korea is to China as Ukraine is to Russia. [/size][size=32]China gets to decide what will happen with NK; Trump is forcing their hand - give us a government in nk that does not seek independance, it can even be your client state and we will remove THAAD [/size]


Why is the USA paying for South Korea's THAADs? Because SK called their bluff. They refused the need for them and thus the intent to pay. 

Thus proving that the [size=31]alleged need[/size] was a smokescreen, so the US could use them against China and Russia. 

What do China/Russia have to gain from shielding NK? Nothing. [size=32]What to they have to lose...The American Military setting up camp LITERALLY on their borders...[/size]

North korea has worlds largest reserves of rare earth minerals

http://www.mining.com/largest-known-rare-earth-deposit-discovered-in-north-korea-86139/

North korea threatening china if china stabs them in the back, also china has recalled it's citizens from korea. China has 150 000 troops on rbe border right? I think trump is seeing if china can do the dirty work of leadership change and bear the costs that might entail if it doesnt go smoothly.


Politial pressure + cutting back fuel and coal = pressure nk elite to depose kim. 


 
North Korean state media criticized China directly Wednesday, saying its “reckless remarks” on the North’s nuclear program was testing its patience and could trigger unspecified “grave” consequences.


"China should no longer try to test the limits of the DPRK's patience," the North Korean commentary said. "China had better ponder over the grave consequences to be entailed by its reckless act of chopping down the pillar of the DPRK-China relations."
The commentary was responding to an article in China’s state-backed Global Times that warned the North’s actions threatened a 1961 treaty of non-aggression between the two countries.
"China will not allow its northeastern region to be contaminated by North Korea's nuclear activities," the Global Times declared.

China has sent a final warning to North Korea over its military provocations.
The May issue of Hong Kong monthly news outlet Dong Xiang.

It said a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs junior minister invited Park Myung-ho, an official of North Korea, for a meeting. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the meeting and asked his junior to read aloud the warning to the North over the nuclear test.
The memorandum mentioned that China will condemn strongly, pull back on all economic cooperation and even blockade North Korea if it conducted the test.

In an almost unprecedented criticism of China on Wednesday, North Korea's state media said Chinese state media commentaries calling for tougher sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear program were undermining relations with Beijing and worsening tensions. As Reuters reports, a commentary carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) slammed China’s "insincerity and betrayal," referring to recent commentaries in China's People's Daily and Global Times newspapers, which it said were "widely known as media speaking for the official stand of the Chinese party and government."


"China had better ponder over the grave consequences to be entailed by its reckless act of chopping down the pillar of the DPRK-China relations,"
The KCNA commentary charged that the Chinese articles had attempted to shift the blame to Pyongyang for "deteriorated relations" between China and North Korea and U.S. deployment of strategic assets to the region. It also accused China of "hyping up" damage caused by North Korean nuclear tests to China's three northeastern provinces.
Chinese state media calls for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program were "a wanton violation of the independent and legitimate rights, dignity and supreme interests" of North Korea and constituted "an undisguised threat to an honest-minded neighboring country which has a long history and tradition of friendship," it said.
North Korea's "media" responded by explaining that the nuclear program was needed for the "existence and development" of the country and "can never be changed nor shaken."
The bottom line is that the window for threading a diplomatic solution, brokered by China, is closing rapidly...

"The DPRK will never beg for the maintenance of friendship with China"

War with north Korea.

Detecting nuclear bombs in city's before troops enter.

What America will need is mass sk civilians to work as spy's.

They will need to use them civilian spy's to go deep into city's, looking for nuclear bombs. We have a problem if kim is keeping any in the city's we need to invade.

As a decoy, you would bomb parts of the city with guided bombs, then would have your spy's enter from them areas and spread out, pretending they are civilians seeking shelter away from the fighting.....They will search for nuclear bombs in 2 ways.

What America will need is mass sk civilians to work as spy's. Or just some with phones to search for nuclear bombs like below say's.

Them spy's will enter the city's door step before the troops. They will then push ahead of the troops and will flood the city's. They will go into random houses and building's taking note and will use mobile phones with nuclear detecting apps on them.

To better that, we would need civilian's to enter at a point, taking with them phone towers. These phone towers will need to be set up in Areas to detect a nuclear bomb / radiation.

You would won't these civilian spy's to travel in vanes, and would pre look with satellites to take the roads without nk checkpoints. Look for areas to by pass a checkpoint by driving trough someone's back yard.

Inside these vans are phone tower heads, that spy's will take up on roofs.

They will communicate with timing, and only turn them all on when they are all set up in an area.

Once set up in an small area, they will turn the phone towers on for 20 seconds or so, scanner the area looking for radiation.

Other spy's in-between the phone tower have mobile phone detectors.

You can use phone towers with mobile phones to detect nuclear bombs with nuclear phone apps.

What we will do is 1 step better and much more easy. Does north Korea have mobile phone towers? Hack them and we just need civilians with mobile phones and the software to scan for radiation. If not we move them in...if we can hack their phone network putting software on there system / mobile phones to make the app work, to detect nuclear bombs.....We will do that.

We bomb an area seeing civilians push forward away from the fighting. Spy's push on ready to set up the nuclear bomb detectors in other areas...Or just use nk phone towers...spy's use mobile phones with the apps.

We bomb an area seeing civilians push forward away from the fighting. We are bombing as the spy's are pushing forward scanning the city's peace at a time.

Seen as no troops have entered the city "guided bombs / jets" will do the fighting in areas, No nuclear bomb's will blow up. We will scan all areas at a time, unto we cover the city.

Put the phone towers in vans that just say electrical.....company. If they do get pulled over there story is already set. Electronics in the back. Make the phone towers connect like Lago.

If we just use north Koreas phone towers with spy's with mobile phones, we would find the nuclear bomb location real fast.

We can detect the bomb's radiation, then bomb the area taking out the nuclear bomb.

What's clear is that different types of missiles will have to be used to take out these nuclear bomb's. All fired at the same time hitting together in a massive wave of different missiles. Some that get past cement and others that get down 3 meters into the dirt and blow up....level that area.

Real wars need real working strategy's. It's strategy's like this, that bring down Nazi Germany.

I am a very intelligent person that proves i am telling the truth. Them trying to diagnose me of that 100% proves it's a lie.

That is the only thing we can do to detect nuclear bombs in city's to stop them going off. If there deep underground we will need spy's going into all buildings and places.

This should detect nk nuclear bombs in city's if we are to invade. The nuclear bombs are big as, nk has not made the warhead size nuclear detonating explosives 1,000 times smaller then the big bombs they are letting off underground....The nuclear bombs will be big and put in place.

GarryB wrote:So you want South Korean Civilians to act as guinea pigs to find nuclear weapons so the US can murder North Koreans safe from any nuclear retaliation.

Is there a shortage of black people to send in instead?

Perhaps not attacking North Korea in the first place and stop having military exercises on its borders practising invading and destroying North Korea is a much better way to stop a nuclear conflict...

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First Kim is a nut case, that feds people to wolfs and watches them getting eaten alive. Kim is insane not a 8 year old kid, that kills animals for fun. Kim is and adult that acts like a sick evil kid, but with humans.

Who is to say we can't stop a disaster in the future? Kim only has 4 - 5 nuclear bombs left, and already acts as if he would take on America and don't care. America can't risk an nuclear attack on their country in 20 years time. North Korea is learning and will make new weapons to hit America.

Kim is unwell and most people with metal problems get worse as they get older. This means kim is unstable.

Kim now with only 4 - 5 nuclear weapons is willing to wage war. Even when he can't beat America and would lose. Kim needs to understand that 4 - 5 nuclear bombs won't win the a war, but case a disaster, that maybe better then the disaster that follows once they start making 1 nuclear bomb a week soon.

We have a window to act, and it's small. North Korea will make 1 nuclear bomb a week soon, so we need to act.

Kim is a sick evil man that will start wars when he has 50 - 156 nuclear bombs within 3 years time. Then we can't act even if they fire a nuclear bomb at south Korea.

As it stands north Korea only has about 4 nuclear bombs left. We have a window to act and if we don't you will see a disaster in the future.

North Korea are like Nazis. Troops that will fight to the death and every last man just about.

North Korea are radicle and radicle people with nuclear weapons is a disaster in the making.

It's about stopping a disaster in the future.

How you got sending black people to the front lines from me saying use sk to go in detecting the nuclear bombs is beyond me. South Korans did live in nk and know there way around. Maybe we should use people that ant Korean or no there way around? That would be dumb because having people that know there way around and look and talk like nk, will be able to search for a nuclear bomb first.

My job as the world best strategist is to find 50 different ways to win a war, or to limit deaths. This idea to use mobile phone towers with mobile phones is the best idea going around.

We can stop nk from bombing Seoul with 200 laser weapons. That will stop 2,700 rounds a min and nk can only fire 2,600 rounds a min at Seoul.

We can also stop nk from using a nuclear missile, by only targeting their only missile that can fit a nuclear bomb on it. It travels at a much slower then faster speed to all their other missiles. The missile dome we be set to only target missiles by speed. That there stop nk from dropping a bomb on any city. It allows the missile dome to only target big missiles...can't get overwhelmed with to many missiles....Only target's their big missiles.

Letting Kim get 100 nuclear bombs could be a disaster worse then ww2. It could see mass radiation flying around the world giving people cancer left right and centre.

You are aware you are talking to the most dangerous person in the world right? I will find away around any problem.

Oblique weapons on fb. https://www.facebook.com/Oblique-weapons-1668384160061114/

Are there any video or picture evidence of the crimes you state Kim commits? Or is this from South Korean and American media, which is not impartial?

miketheterrible wrote:Are there any video or picture evidence of the crimes you state Kim commits? Or is this from South Korean and American media, which is not impartial?

How so when they made nuclear weapons?

They made a promise that said safety nuclear watch observers being kick out of there country, did not mean they are after nuclear weapons. That was a lie, we can't trust Kim.

Iran can thank NK for stopping them from getting nuclear weapons.

America has never wanted a Korean war so why now? Last time they took over the nuclear plant and made a nuclear bomb we never acted? We never acted when they didn't have nuclear bombs.

It all points to Kim being crazy, and north Korea only having 4 - 5 nuclear bombs left.

The 4 or 5 left means kim can't harm this world much. 5 bombs of radiation going off couldn't contaminate this world much. That means within a month or months north Korea will make 1 nuclear bomb a week. That's a problem.

Kim is crazy and he feds people to wild dogs. Just like he shelled the south Korea island years ago, that could have killed civilians. Kim is willing to kill humans to try start a war.

Kim Knows America would crush them now....We have guided bombs this time. So why is kim willing to rage a war? Because he has nuclear bombs.

Kim new before they got nuclear weapons, that we would not attack them because of north Korea artillery canons hitting Seoul.

In 3 years time Kim is going to have 50 - 150 nuclear bombs. He can damage the world, plus let off nuclear bombs in the air unto we hand them money. It will be more and more.

Watch a video clip of inside north Korea and on the news. Reminds me of ww2.

China is meant to be proof we can trust communism, but can we? Said they would never built up but did and broke 5 promises.

Do you think we can trust nk Kim when he has 100 nuclear bombs, or do you think he will demand his economy back? Happens if we don't and they start testing nuclear bombs in the air hurting this world. 1 a week unto they get their economy back?

Kim is crazy and if he is as nuts as I think he is, he will get 50 nuclear bombs and China can't act or America can't act after they get that many, that kim kill contaminate the world unto we hand him more money.

If nk get's 50 nuclear bombs, whos to say they won't hand any to Iran? A war with nk would be deadly if they had 50+ nuclear bombs.

We have to think now and make sure we get it right. There is no going back once he get 30 nuclear bombs let alone 15.

Do you understand reality? Reality is a guy that feds humans to dogs for fun, shoots officers with anti jet guns. He murders for fun and is willing to start a war now. Kim is insane and needs to understand, 4 nuclear bombs left wound end the world.

This idea / strategy is just how to try stop a disaster from happing. Prevent a bigger disaster in the future.

Kim is nuts ill tell you that much.

I love the Iran deal and think nk should have their economy back if they do the same, and let peace workers look at sights they clam they are killing humans / civilians.

I'm anti war unless it could turn into a disaster. 50 nuclear bombs blowing up will do just that, and contaminate the world, giving people cancer. We need to act right now I think. At min they get their economy back if they stop testing nuclear weapons and holt production.

obliqueweapons wrote:Do you understand reality? Reality is a guy that feds humans to dogs for fun, shoots officers with anti jet guns. He murders for fun and is willing to start a war now. Kim is insane and needs to understand, 4 nuclear bombs left wound end the world.

The reality is that you have been told that he fed his uncle to dogs and shot his generals with artillery. You fell for the same propaganda hook, line and sinker, that has been churned out by South Korean intelligence since 1953.

General Ri Yong Gil was reported alive in the Washington Times three months after his death and occupies three important government posts. General Hyon Yong Chol was still spotted on NK TV months after his reported execution. Although dead, the unsubstantiated story about Jang Song Thaek being eaten by 120 hungry dogs was reported in the least credible newspaper in Hong Kong. Even Kim's supposed porn movie making girlfriend Hyon Song Wol resurrected herself to attend the national meeting of artists last month.

Does Kim Jong Un engage in purges to preserve power? Of course he does. But a purge does not necessarily imply execution, nor use of such ridiculous methods for which there still is no evidence. I'm not saying that North Korea isn't a repressive nation, yet rumours concerning the madness of Kim Kong are certainly overblown. From what I see, he's a rational man, seeking some way to reduce military expenditure whilst still preserving sovereignty.

Building nukes may well be the best strategic plan to preserve NK from further US aggression. Its rhetoric may be strong, but it hasn't been North Korea holding wargames in Mexico, sending its fleets off the US coast, or sending spy planes into US airspace. If nuclear deterrence is a just and valid course to preserve Russia, then the same holds for North Korea - which has 2-3 million reasons why it shouldn't trust the US or its proxies. Just ask Libya, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and all the others dating back to 1887.

U.S. Analysis of the Nuclear War Strategy of the D.P.R.K.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/north-korea-targets/?utm_term=.d375f7cb1815


Very interesting reading.

Pretty sensible comment from Bannon in the White House.

So Russia goes along with China in approving The U.N.S.C sanctions and now it has backfired on the Chinesse as the U.S slaps sanctions on Russia/China anyway. The empire of chaos wants chaos in China's and Russia's backyard.... it ain't interested in peace. Capital flight is the ultimate goal. When and if Korea gets a true ICBM, in sufficient numbers, then maybe, maybe.... they'll come to the negotiating table. For now, it will all be about how much Russia/China can give in to U.S pressure while getting practically nothing in return. Thus a win win for the U.S.

Talk about getting played. And the kicker, the U.S still has more sanction cards to play...namely Chinese banks. That 600 billion trade relationship is a helluva leash on the Chinese and it's kinda sad Russia is getting dragged just to please China. That sort of leverage is non-existent with Russia. Ukraine and Europe are Russia's leash.

North Korea fires missile over Japan in sharp escalation of tensions





In an “unprecedented, grave and serious” threat to Japan, nuclear-armed North Korea test-fired an unidentified ballistic missile that overflew Japan on Tuesday morning, broke up into three pieces and plunged into the Pacific Ocean about 1,180 km east of Hokkaido’s Cape Erimo, the Japanese government said.

The North launched the missile, which traveled around 14 minutes, at 5:58 a.m., the government said, adding no damage had been reported to ships or aircraft. It said that the missile had broken into three pieces and fallen into the waters off Hokkaido.

The Self-Defense Forces did not attempt to shoot down the missile, which passed over Japanese territory at around 6:06 a.m., but the government’s J-Alert warning system had been activated and people in the area were advised to take precautions.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters that the government had a grasp of the situation right after North Korea launched the missile. He called the launch “an unprecedented, grave and serious threat” that damages the peace and security of the region, adding that Tokyo had lodged a firm protest with Pyongyang.

Abe said the government would take “full steps” to ensure the safety of the Japanese people.

Foreign Minister Taro Kono also told reporters that the government is requesting that a United Nations Security Council meeting be convened over the launch.

The Pentagon also confirmed the launch, saying it was working to analyze the firing.

“We are still in the process of assessing this launch. North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America,” Pentagon spokesman Col. Rob Manning said in a statement.

South Korea’s military said the missile was fired from the Sunan area near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.

The launch came as the Self-Defense Forces were practicing deploying anti-missile batteries at three U.S. bases in Japan. The U.S. military says the drills will test the ability of Japanese and U.S. forces to work together and assess firing locations at the bases. They will also allow Japan to practice rapid deployment of its PAC-3 anti-missile system.

Japan has in the past vowed to shoot down North Korean missiles or rockets that threaten to hit its territory, though experts and officials have said this could be both technically and legally difficult.

In 2009, a North Korean rocket passed over Japanese territory without incident, triggering Japan’s immediate denouncement. At the time, Pyongyang claimed it was launching a telecommunications satellite, but Washington, Seoul and Tokyo believed this was a thinly veiled test of long-range missile technology

Tokyo’s position that it can and might shoot down a threatening North Korean missile has become more relevant after Pyongyang announced this month a plan to shower the area around the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam with four missiles that would overfly Japan.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, however, appeared to back off that threat, in the days following, leading to an almost monthlong hiatus in missile tests by the isolated country.

That pause was broken Saturday, when the country launched three short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan.

The U.S. Pacific Command said two of the missiles flew 250 km (155 miles) while the other appeared to have blown up immediately.

Despite the “provocative act,” U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson left the door open for talks with the North, having earlier praised Pyongyang for exercising “restraint” and halting launches for nearly 30 days.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who had vowed to rain down “fire and fury” on North Korea if it endangered the United States, also appeared to tamp down his rhetoric last week, expressing cautious hope for a possible improvement in relations with Pyongyang by telling a campaign rally that Kim “is starting to respect us.”

With its latest missile test, it was now unclear if any door to negotiations had closed.

Tuesday’s launch also came amid the joint U.S.-South Korean Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercises, which are due to wrap up this Thursday.

North Korea has been one of the Trump administration’s top foreign policy challenges, one that has taken on increased focus after it conducted two test-firings of its Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last month.

Experts said the second launch saw the missile fly higher and longer than the first, and now puts a large chunk of the United States — including Chicago and Los Angeles — potentially within range of Pyongyang’s ever-improving weapons systems.

The White House has said that all options remain on the table, including military action, stoking concerns of a second Korean War that say would devastate the region.



https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/08/29/national/north-korea-fires-missile-japan-reportedly-breaks-falls-pacific/#.WaQRDfPyiUk

https://www.rt.com/news/403380-north-korea-pyongyang-missile/

Pyongyang fires missile through Japan’s airspace into Pacific Ocean

https://www.rt.com/news/403399-south-korea-north-destruction/

“In case North Korea undertakes provocations against us or our ally, we have the power to destroy (the North) beyond recovery,”

South Korea thinks it can get into a shouting match with the DPRK....

All the western commentators say they are not worried about confrontation with North Korea . And Trump diverts public opinion away from Korea by talk of football . Accident ? Unlikely . So there is their weakness . Korea has to win the public arguments . This takes time . But unless immediate retaliation against American planes is necessary , then Korea is well to remember the value of winning the moral argument . Why not send an email to every yank that Korea wants peace ? Kind of mass cyber peace movement . Also something to wake them up . Remember their weakness . At the same time try to break sanctions . Use this time to secure all advantages . Before possible war .

U.S. Stealth Planes Dispatched to South Korea, KPA Cannot Detect Them.


http://www.businessinsider.com/f-22s-show-of-force-north-korea-december-2017-2017-11



They could use these planes to launch a surprise attack against the D.P.R.K.

Odin of Ossetia wrote:


U.S. Stealth Planes Dispatched to South Korea, KPA Cannot Detect Them.


http://www.businessinsider.com/f-22s-show-of-force-north-korea-december-2017-2017-11



They could use these planes to launch a surprise attack against the D.P.R.K.

True, but it takes only one nuke to turn Soul and possibly Tokyo to ash.

U.S. Anti-ICBM Capabilities, and How They Would be Used in Case of a D.P.R.K. Nuclear Missile Attack Against America.


https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/comment-if-north-korea-fires-a-nuclear-missile-at-the-us-how-could-it-be-stopped/ar-BBFZqyr?li=AAggv0m&ocid=SKY2DHP


Too bad the issue of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) was not really addressed.

The key phrase from that article is:

What's unknown is whether it will succeed.

pretty good analysis...