President Trump says 'all options are on the table’ amid fears miscalculation is biggest risk to global peace
TODAY host Karl Stefanovic didn’t hold back this morning as he pointed out the big problem with Kim Jong-un.
NORTH Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations said the country will not “flinch an inch” in its quest for nuclear capabilities as long as US “threats continue.”
Ambassador Han Tae Song told the Conference on Disarmament that his country “has every reason to respond with tough countermeasures”, hours after launching a ballistic missile over Japan and into the sea.
MORE: ‘Impeccable’ timing of missile launch
North Korea’s missile launch sparked global condemnation with the UN Security Council today calling on Pyongyang to halt its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.
North Korea’s actions were raised on Today as Karl Stefanovic quizzed Foreign Minister Julie Bishop about the best path forward.
The Today host said neither threats nor an olive branch had worked and the North Korean regime didn’t seem to care about the rest of the world.
Ms Bishop said the collective strategy was to continue to impose through political, diplomatic and economic means noting tough sanctions are about to bite.
“The United States has said all options are on the table and that has certainly been the case for some time,” Ms Bishop said, adding it was vital all diplomatic channels were exhausted.
Stefanovic didn’t leave it there and said the North Koreans remained defiant despite constant threats, sanctions and condemnation.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop spoke to us in relation to the North Korean missile crisis. #9News pic.twitter.com/xGd8zLdyqk
— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) August 29, 2017
“With the greatest respect, he doesn’t give a toss about Donald Trump or us,” he said.
Ms Bishop said “North Korea attacking another country would be catastrophic for North Korea” and the US would defend its allies including Japan and South Korea.
She said North Korea had come to the negotiating table before and would again to which Stefanovic responded: “Do we negotiate with a country that fires a missile over an ally?”
“He’s not going to budge though.”
MEANINGFUL PRELUDE
As pictures emerged of the launch, North Korea’s state media reported that Kim has called for more ballistic missile launches into the Pacific.
The Korean Central News Agency said Kim expressed great satisfaction with the launch, calling it a “meaningful prelude” to containing Guam, the US Pacific territory and military hub.
Kim said the country needs to conduct more ballistic missile tests to the Pacific to advance the capabilities of its strategic force.
#breaking First KCNA pics of North Korean missile launched over Japan. Kim Jong Un "will continue to watch US...and decide future action" pic.twitter.com/BFfeTjkdkt
— Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) August 29, 2017
KCNA also confirmed the missile was the Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile it recently threatened to fire toward Guam.
Kim, who attended the launch, said his country will continue to watch “US demeanours” before it decides on its future actions.
‘ALL OPTIONS ON THE TABLE’
US President Trump has said “all options are on the table” following yesterday’s provocative missile flight.
“The world has received North Korea’s latest message loud and clear; this regime has signalled its contempt for its neighbours, for all members of the United Nations and for minimum standards of acceptable international behaviour,” he said in a written statement on Tuesday.
“Threatening and destabilising actions only increase the North Korean regime’s isolation in the region and among all nations of the world. All options are on the table.”
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said “something serious has to happen” following the launch with no word on what that might be.
She said the US, South Korea and Japan have called for a UN Security Council meeting to “talk about what is left to do.”
North Korea launched a mid-range ballistic missile that flew over Japan’s Northern island of Hokkaido and crashed into the Pacific Ocean in what has been deemed one of the country’s boldest actions yet.
The missile flew around 2700km and reached 550km high, leading to an alarming wake-up call for Japanese residents who received text messages about the weapon flying overhead.
The test stoked fears a critical miscalculation could lead to a violent outbreak. Nuclear defence expert at UK think tank RUSI, Cristina Varrialle, said North Korea’s latest missile launch was designed to bite back at US and South Korean exercises but not be so provocative as to risk firing towards Guam.
“A miscalculation that leads to some form of escalation is the biggest risk right now,” she told news.com.au.
“Obviously it wasn’t in the direction of Guam ... that could have provoked further miscalculation. This test clearly was not heading to that direction so it did eliminate that element.”
‘OUTRAGEOUS ACTIONS’
The UN Security Council denounced North Korea’s latest missile test and unanimously demanded that Pyongyang halt its nuclear weapons program.
The 15-nation body maintained its unity after Kim’s latest provocation, with China and Russia agreeing to sign up to a statement condemning his isolated regime’s action.
However the US-drafted statement, while noting that the test contravened several previous Security Council resolutions, will not immediately lead to new or tightened measures against Pyongyang.
“The Security Council, resolute in its commitment to a denuclearised Korean Peninsula, emphasises the vital importance of immediate, concrete actions by the DPRK to reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula and beyond,” it said, using an acronym for the nation’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The council also said it was committed to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation.
GLOBAL THREAT
The missile launch comes as the US and South Korea are set to conclude 10 days’ worth of military training drills in the region. While the drills were prearranged, tension between the US and North Korea has ratcheted up after President Trump claimed it would risk “fire and fury” if by continuing on its current path.
Ms Varriale said Japan may be able to recover the wreckage of the latest test to determine more about the missile and the country’s capabilities.
Meanwhile, North Korea’s upcoming anniversary of their founding day on September 9 could also lead to further public displays of technical might.
“They like to celebrate these big public anniversaries with displays of new technology or nuclear tests to demonstrate their capabilities. There’s things like that we should look out for,” she said.
Yesterday’s test was the 13th test the rogue state has carried out this year. Some analysts believe Pyongyang could have viable long-range nuclear missiles before the end of President Donald Trump’s first term in early 2021.
Former US diplomat Christopher Hill called the launch the “most serious” yet that was “extremely worrisome”.
New York Times journalist Max Fisher wrote: “These North Korea provocations are calibrated to fall short of war, but they still give me the jitters. Only takes one poorly-timed mistake.”
London School of Economic fellow and author Brian Klaas wrote the North Korean situation is “ripe for a tragic miscalculation from all sides.”
“Expert-driven, powerful diplomacy needed urgently,” he tweeted.
This situation is incredibly dangerous and ripe for tragic miscalculation from all sides. Expert-driven, powerful diplomacy needed urgently. https://t.co/gfLsqgCdgF
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) August 28, 2017
Global leaders have called on all countries to invoke tough sanctions against Pyongyang to cripple its economic power.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull specifically called on China as the country with the most economic leverage.
“Australia condemns this latest reckless, dangerous and provocative act by the North Korean regime which continues to threaten the peace and stability of the region,” he said.
Nottingham Trent University’s East Asian expert Dr Colin Alexander said the events are “deeply unsettling” given the demonstrations of North Korean abilities.
“It is a demonstration of North Korea’s capability and preparedness to use it should it encounter aggression or encroachment from the United States or South Korea,” he said.
- with AP
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