North Korea Claims Missiles Can Reach US

North Korea claims its missiles are now capable of hitting the United States after an agreement between the US and South Korea that more than doubled the range of South Korea’s arsenal was unveiled on Sunday.

As a deterrent to North Korea, the agreement between South Korea and the US increased the country’s ballistic missile range to roughly 500 miles (800 km) reports The Guardian.

Currently, the United States has over 20,000 troops stationed in South Korea as a means of defending its ally, though the US denies any intentions of striking against North Korea. In response to the announcement, North Korea’s National Defence Commission released a statement saying:

“We do not hide [the fact] that the revolutionary armed forces … including the strategic rocket forces are keeping within the scope of strike not only the bases of the puppet forces and the US imperialist aggression forces’ bases in the inviolable land of Korea, but also Japan, Guam and the US mainland.”

According to the Washington Post, North Korea stated that the South Korea-US missile deal is a “product of another conspiracy of the master and the stooge” meant to “ignite a war” against the North. While the country has previously been outspoken against Seoul and Washington, it’s unusual for the North to claim its missiles can strike the US.

North Korea’s statement may suggest that they have been working on a miniature version of a nuclear bomb capable of being mounted to long-range rockets, though many experts believe the country’s current technology puts the possibility out of reach for now. The statement by the North may, however, back up previously held suspicions by experts on the long range capability of the country’s rockets.

The previous agreement between South Korea and the US in 2001 prevented the country from deploying ballistic missiles with a range of more than 186 miles (300 km) as well as payloads of more than 1,100 pounds due to the possibility of igniting a regional arms race.

Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korean studies professor based in Seoul, claims that North Korea had to respond to the South’s extended missile range, adding that it likely won’t launch any provocation because it is waiting for the results of the US and South Korean presidential elections.

The country conducted a rocket test in April, which Washington, Seoul, and other nations believe was a cover for a long-range missile test. North Korea contends that the rocket, which broke apart shortly after it lifted off, was supposed to launch a satellite.

[iframe src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/xHzUQuSWtu0? width=”640? height=”360?]