Politics

Trump Stands With Japan Against North Korean Aggression

No featured image available

President Donald Trump said Saturday evening that the U.S. will stand by its ally against North Korean provocations.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slammed North Korea’s latest ballistic missile test as “absolutely intolerable.” He added that Pyongyang must “fully comply with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.” Trump said that the “United States of America stands behind Japan, its great ally, one hundred percent.”

It is unclear at this time how the new U.S. administration intends to respond. North Korea tested an unidentified ballistic missile early Sunday morning.

The South Korean military suspects the missile was a Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile. The ballistic missile was launched from Banghyon air base in Kusong, North Pyonggan province, where North Korea has previously tested Musudan missiles.

An operational Musudan missile would likely have a range of about 1,500 miles, putting U.S. forces stationed in Guam within striking distance.

Pyongyang is eager to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting targets in the continental U.S., but North Korea has so far put greater emphasis on developing an effective and reliable intermediate-range ballistic missile, like Musudan. The North conducted eight Musudan missile tests last year.

The South Korean military reported that the missile launch was a “show of force” in response to Trump’s hard-line stance on North Korea’s weapons programs.

When he visited South Korea and Japan last week, Secretary of Defense James Mattis assured America’s allies that the U.S. would defend them against North Korea aggression. “Any attack on the United States, or our allies, will be defeated, and any use of nuclear weapons would be met with a response that would be effective and overwhelming,” he asserted. He also announced that the U.S. intends to push forward with plans to install a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile shield in South Korea this year.

Trump, in a joint statement with Abe, said Friday that he would push North Korea “to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and not to take any further provocative actions.”

The ballistic missile launch may be a test of the new administration, a continuation of existing weapons development programs, or both. The new U.S. administration is dealing with a much more powerful North Korea than past presidents have faced.

Follow Ryan on Twitter

Send tips to ryan@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.