North Korea’s first missile test over Japan in five years has elicited a flurry of condemnations and joint military drills between the U.S. and allies Japan and South Korea, but the harsh rhetoric and muscle-flexing appear unlikely to deter Pyongyang from continuing to refine its missile and nuclear arsenal.
In a 25-minute phone call late Tuesday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden called the North’s launch of an apparent intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) “a serious and imminent threat to Japan's security and a clear and grave challenge to the international community,” according to the Japanese government.
The White House, which characterized the weapon as a “long-range ballistic missile,” said in a statement that the U.S. and Japan “would continue to closely coordinate their immediate and longer-term response bilaterally, trilaterally with the Republic of Korea, and with the international community."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.