Latest North Korean missile launch appears to have greater range than previous efforts, underscoring push for tougher sanctions against Pyongyang
South Korean President Park Geun-hye agreed cooperation with US counterpart Barack Obama as part of a flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at agreeing on how best to censure the North.
The rocket launched by North Korea at the weekend seemed more powerful than its 2012 predecessor, but Pyongyang still lacks the expertise to transform it into a ballistic missile capable of reaching the US mainland, South Korean officials said on Tuesday.
The comments came as leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan discussed how to punish the North for its latest defiant launch and nuclear test, eyeing “strong and effective” UN sanctions.
The rocket, carrying an Earth observation satellite, blasted off on Sunday morning and, according to North Korean state TV, achieved orbit within 10 minutes.
The launch, which violated multiple UN resolutions, was widely seen as an act of open defiance just weeks after Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test.
It sparked strong international condemnations and resulted in an agreement at the UN Security Council to move quickly to impose new sanctions.
Without getting into a timeline, we’d like to see this move as quickly as possible
The Pentagon said it wanted to send a sophisticated missile defence system to South Korea and that the two sides would start formal discussions on placing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence System (THAAD) on the North’s doorstep.
