07 September 2016

News Report: N Korea Makes Progress in Missile Technologies - Japanese MoD

Pyongyang's fresh launches of ballistic missiles are a sign that North Korea continues to work on its missile technologies and makes advancements in this area, Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said on Tuesday.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — On Monday, the Japanese Defense Ministry said that the North Korean authorities had fired three ballistic missiles from Hwangju county in the direction of the Sea of Japan. Later, it was reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a missile launch test and stressed the necessity to boost the country's nuclear force.

"Three ballistic missiles, which were fired from one location, reached simultaneously Japan's exclusive economic zone and fell into almost the same spot in the sea. Earlier [on August 24] a ballistic missile was launched from a submarine. All this shows progress in North Korea's missile technologies," Inada said. She also stressed that her country should react to the constantly repeated missile launches by North Korea. Japan should boost cooperation with the United States in missile defense in this context, she added. 

North Korea is currently under pressure from the international community since its January nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch in February, which resulted in tightening sanctions against Pyongyang in the new UN Security Council resolution in March.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.