An intermediate-range missile that North Korea has deployed to its east coast is not capable of striking the US mainland, South Korean Defence Minister Kim Kwan-jin said Thursday, according to Yonhap.
Kim dismissed media reports that Pyongyang has moved a KN-08 missile into position to attack the US, saying it is unable to strike the US mainland.
‘It could be intended for test firing or military drills,’ he was quoted by Yonhap as saying. Kim said the North could try other forms of provocation, including border clashes and cyber attacks.
Pyongyang’s latest missile deployment has prompted the US to move its THAAD advanced missile defence system along with radar systems to a base on the Pacific Ocean island of Guam.
On Wednesday, the North Korean army said it had received approval to launch a ‘merciless’ attack on the US, including possible nuclear strikes. The statement follows a pledge by Pyongyang Tuesday to restart facilities at its Yongbyon nuclear complex, including a uranium enrichment plant and a reactor. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton Thursday deplored Pyongyang’s decision.
Kim dismissed media reports that Pyongyang has moved a KN-08 missile into position to attack the US, saying it is unable to strike the US mainland.
‘It could be intended for test firing or military drills,’ he was quoted by Yonhap as saying. Kim said the North could try other forms of provocation, including border clashes and cyber attacks.
Pyongyang’s latest missile deployment has prompted the US to move its THAAD advanced missile defence system along with radar systems to a base on the Pacific Ocean island of Guam.
On Wednesday, the North Korean army said it had received approval to launch a ‘merciless’ attack on the US, including possible nuclear strikes. The statement follows a pledge by Pyongyang Tuesday to restart facilities at its Yongbyon nuclear complex, including a uranium enrichment plant and a reactor. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton Thursday deplored Pyongyang’s decision.