North Korea Follows Destructive Threats Towards United States With Another Missile Launch


Almost a week after North Korea’s bold claim that it can “wipe Manhattan off the map,” United States defense officials have confirmed that Pyongyang recently staged another missile launch from the Southern province of Sukchon county.

In the latest round of malicious threats by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s government, statements of direct intent of destruction toward the United States were made, per The Washington Post.

“Our hydrogen bomb is much bigger than the one developed by the Soviet Union. If this H-bomb were to be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile and fall on Manhattan in New York City, all the people there would be killed immediately and the city would burn down to ashes.”

US Military
[Photo by Woohae Cho/Getty Images]
In response, President Barack Obama has placed restrictive sanctions upon North Korean mining companies. These sanctions are intended to cut off funding from the countries mining industry that funnels to its state-run nuclear weapons program.

Additionally, the United Nations, Japan, and South Korea have all banded together with the United States in penalizing North Korea for its recent unbridled nuclear ambitions. In response, Jong-un’s government has become increasingly irrational and hostile regarding the perceived attacks, and the pariah state has furthered a culture of defiance against the opposing nations.

Unsettling for its enemies, many experts are now claiming that North Korea has made strides in the country’s intercontinental ballistic missile program. The North Korean dictator hasn’t been bashful in showing off his improved arsenal either.

In January, North Korea’s bellicose leader undertook an attention-grabbing fourth nuclear test. Ever the agent provocateur, Jong-un claimed the military exercise consisted of a hydrogen bomb experiment. Again in February, the North Korean head stated that his country had sent a ballistic missile-compatible satellite into orbit. Finally, Jong-un authorized the recent launches of medium-range missiles from Hwanghae and Pyongyang, primarily as a blatant act of international defiance.

North Korea’s latest outbursts have coincided with the annual joint-military exercises undertaken by South Korea and the United States. The North Korean government deems these yearly practices to be a major sign of aggression toward their nation.

This morning’s missile-launch from Sukchon County into the Eastern Sea featured two Rodong projectiles. One of the Rodong missiles reportedly exploded mid-flight, while the other traveled 500 miles into the East Sea. The missiles were shot from a road vehicle.

Kim Jong-Un
[Photo by Chung Sun-Jung/Getty Images]
North Korea’s “Supreme Leader,” Kim Jong-un, has long been known for his threats against the United States and other nations. However, with more capable weapons of destruction, these threats have gained more traction, warranting concern.

Jeffery Lewis of the East Asia nonproliferation program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey warned readers of the Washington Post to be careful in idly dismissing Jong-un’s recent remarks.

“It does not look like U.S. devices, to be sure, but it is hard to know if aspects of the model are truly implausible or simply that North Korean nuclear weapons look different than their Soviet and American cousins. The size, however, is consistent with my expectations for North Korea.”

The United States’ latest controversy with North Korea comes just after University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier was sentenced to 15-years hard labor by the isolated nation. Politicians from the United States have decried Warmbier’s harsh sentencing as politically motivated and plan to take action in attempting to exonerate the student. According to The Inquisitr the 21-year-old was arrested by North Korean police for “hostile acts against the DPRK.”

These actions, intensified by the latest North Korean missile launch, prompted Secretary of state John F. Kerry to vow that the United States is “closely monitoring the situation on the Korean Peninsula.” Time will tell where this situation leads.

[Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images]

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