World War 3 worries have escalated as North Korea successfully completed a missile launch. The North Korean missile program has finally expanded on May 14, 2017. The moment was celebratory for dictator Kim Jong-un, who has given a huge welcome to the scientists involved in the project.
According to reports, Kim Jong-un hugged the officials and celebrated the victory of the rocket development with the teams of hundreds of technicians, scientists, and military officers. In the pictures released, he can be seen hugging and waving at the officials after the successful launch of Hwasong-12.
Kim Jong-un praised the scientists for their dedication and said they “worked hard to achieve a great thing.” The Hwasong-12 ballistic rocket successfully reached an altitude of 2,111.5 km (1,312 miles) and traveled a distance of 489 miles before breaching Japan’s Air Defense Identification Zone and splashing down in the Sea of Japan.
“The missile flew around 30 minutes and landed in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea,” said Japan’s chief cabinet secretary.
The launch of the liquid-fueled Hwasong-12 has reportedly increased tension between neighboring nations, and North Korea is not ready to back down. The United States’ and South Korea’s defense officials have confirmed the breakthrough for Pyongyang’s missile program.
“The missile is not believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile. Right now, it sure looks successful,” said one of the U.S. defense officials.
The Hwasong-12 ballistic missile is an intermediate-range missile and experts suggest it will take around three years for the technology to be applied to an intercontinental missile capable of striking the mainland of the United States. However, the goal is not too far for the North Korea, whose scientists have already mastered long-range guidance and control capabilities.
There has been mounting pressure in the Korean peninsula over North Korea’s missile tests since a test last year, as well as the placement of the U.S. missile defense system known as Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, in South Korea. The White House press secretary’s office, in the statement, urged stricter sanctions against North Korea.
“The United States maintains our ironclad commitment to stand with our allies in the face of the serious threat posed by North Korea. Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea.”
The Trump administration has said that it is open for talks. Last month, President Donald Trump raised the possibility of a “major, major conflict” with North Korea if other solutions do not work. The president has already said that he is interested in minimizing the tension with talks rather than nuclear war and will be “honored” to meet Kim Jong-un.
However, North Korea is not ready yet to extend talks and wants some action. North Korea’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Kim In-ryong, said on Friday that Pyongyang will not join in any kind of talks unless the United States takes back its “hostile policy.”
“The rolling back of the hostile policy towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [North Korea] is the prerequisite for solving all the problems in the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, the urgent issue to be settled on Korean Peninsula is to put a definite end to the U.S. hostile policy towards DPRK, the root cause of all problems. As everybody knows, the Americans have gestured [toward] dialogue. But what is important is not words, but actions.”
The rising tension between North Korea and the United States started earlier this year when North Korea conducted multiple missile launch tests while vowing to target the United States in order to combat what it called American aggression. With the expansion of the missile program, North Korea presents a great threat to the escalating war talks.
[Featured Image by Wong Maye-E/AP Images]