North Korea: the launch was a "warning"



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According to the North Korean Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the launches were "personally organized" by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "as part of the power demonstration to send a solemn warning to the South Korean army ".

Kim Jong Un is said to be "satisfied" with the performance of the "tactically guided weapon system", intervened in a new stalemate in nuclear negotiations between North Korea and the United States.

Although US President Donald Trump and Kim agreed to resume negotiations at the operational level after their meeting last month, the two sides have not publicly announced scheduled talks.

The North Korean leader criticized South Korea's decision to hold joint military exercises with the United States next month and to acquire "ultra-modern offensive weapons," according to the KCNA report. . published on Friday.

On 16 July, South Korea's Defense Ministry announced that two F-35A stealth fighters had arrived in the country from the United States. Seoul currently has four F-35s but plans to acquire 40 F-35s by 2021. Experts say Kim's regime is concerned about South Korea's decision to acquire F-35 stealth fighter jets, which could maybe escape the North Korean radars.

KCNA reported Friday that Kim viewed South Korea's military maneuvers as "suicidal" acts that could torpedo recent diplomatic progress between the two sides. He also warned President Moon Jae-in to heed "the warning of Pyongyang".

North Korea has long viewed with hostility the joint annual military exercises between South Korea and the United States. To ease tensions with Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington have recently suspended or reduced a number of joint exercises. Next month's exercises will probably consist mainly of computer simulations.
On July 16, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Korea issued a statement in which it described the upcoming military exercises as a "war rehearsal".
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observes a missile test in North Korea on this photo provided by the North Korean government

A new type of threat

South Korea has already indicated that it regards the launch as a "military threat" designed to undermine progress on stability on the Korean peninsula.

On Thursday, the Standing Committee of the South Korean National Security Council concluded that the launches involved "a new type of short-range ballistic missile", suggesting that the isolated country was actively developing its military capabilities.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observes the launch of the North Korean missile on Thursday.

Colonel Lee Peters, a combined forces command spokesman who integrates US and South Korean forces, said Washington also concluded that a new type of weapon had been fired.

Kim's regime said that North Korea would stop testing nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles during negotiations with Washington, but gave no badurances as to other weapons. However, these tests violate United Nations Security Council resolutions prohibiting North Korea from testing and launching ballistic missiles.

The South Korean presidential office announced Thursday that it would make a "final badessment" of the launch after badyzing the information with the United States.

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