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China-Japan-Koreas
Norks fire missiles at Sea of Japan
2016-09-05
North Korea fired three ballistic missiles Monday morning, according to South Korea's military. The missiles were fired from areas around Hwangju county, in North Hwanghae province, towards the Sea of Japan, South Korea's military said in a statement.

Officials said the launch was believed to be of mid-range Rodong missiles, and flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) "without giving any prior navigational warning."

It comes just under two weeks after Pyongyang test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile. That missile entered Japan's air defense identification zone, the first time that has happened.
Notice the new launches didn't get close enough to Japan to cause Japan to shoot back, which they just might do...
In a statement, the US said it "strongly condemns" the multiple launches, which came at a potentially embarrassing time for North Korea's only real ally, China, which is currently hosting the G20 summit in Hangzhou.
But no one in that part of the world cares what we say...
From the summit, a senior US official said the launch was "reckless" and could pose threats to civil aviation and maritime commerce in the region. The official said the US would raise its concerns at the East Asia Summit in Laos, which President Obama is scheduled to attend this week.
Why wait? He's in China today...
Japan's Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said the launch was a "serious threat" to the country's security, and it was clear North Korea was learning from past failures.

"Looking at the fact that the three missiles have landed on almost the same spot at almost the same time, I think their missile technology has substantially improved," she said.

Meanwhile, China's foreign minister spokeswoman Hua Chunying called for calm. "At the moment, the situation on the (Korean) peninsula is quite complex and sensitive," Hua said.

"We hope all relevant parties can avoid taking actions that may escalate tensions, and can make joint efforts to maintain peace and stability on the peninsula."
China pets its lapdog for yet another performance. The treat is forthcoming...
"This is Pyongyang's way of reminding everyone of their existence at a moment when all the parties are together, in a typically defiant, North Korean way," John Delury, assistant professor at Yonsei University in South Korea, told CNN.
It's also China's way of reminding everyone that they have a rabid lapdog...
The launches also came hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping told his South Korean counterpart at the G20 that Beijing opposes the deployment of the United States' THAAD missile defense system to South Korea.

"Mishandling the issue is not conducive to strategic stability in the region and could intensify disputes," Xi was quoted as telling Park Geun-hye, according to a report from China's official

The stated purpose of the THAAD system is to defend South Korea from missile attack from the North, but Beijing views it as an attempt to shift the regional power balance in favor of US allies.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has previously said the deployment of the anti-missile system could jeopardize "China's legitimate national security interests."
So let's fire missiles towards Japan. That'll convince everyone that THAAD isn't needed...
"THAAD has a range that could hit weapons in China," said Yvonne Chiu, an expert on military policy and diplomacy at Hong Kong University. She added that China was understandably concerned "about having a US made, US run missile system in its backyard."

Delury says that while the Chinese "recognize that something has to be done about North Korea," they view the THAAD system as "killing a chicken with an ax."
We'd appreciate the opportunity to wring the chicken's neck quietly, but the Chinese won't let us do that either...
While the latest tests may seem to undermine Beijing's anti-THAAD argument, Delury says it "will create more tension between the South Koreans and the Chinese," which will benefit Pyongyang.
Posted by:Steve White

#5  P2K, I watched that video, and all I could say was "Holy sh*t!!!".

Of course, Kim Jong Un is probably looking at it and saying "Oooh. That would be sooo cool to pour all over Seoul."
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia   2016-09-05 13:45  

#4  Real Sea of Fire stuff coming soon. Maybe some chlorine trifluoride loaded in the delivery package.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2016-09-05 13:08  

#3  Why wait? He's in China today...

Well, they're pretty much ignoring him. I'm guessing his syncophants are cherishing some vague hope that the Lesser Dragons will at least listen respectfully before they do what the PRC wants anyways...

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2016-09-05 11:58  

#2  Ima hatchetman myself.
Posted by: Shipman   2016-09-05 11:39  

#1  killing a chicken with an ax."

Many a chicken has been killed with an ax. It's quite effective.
Posted by: AlanC   2016-09-05 11:23  

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