N Korea tests possibly longest-range missile since 2017

Now they’re picking up steam!

they need to hit 15 launches by the end of February.

It’s a quota for the delusional.

“*I'm not the man they think I am at home**. Oh, no, no, no. . . burning out his fuse up here alone.*” - Sorry, Elton. Seemed fitting.

- “Pyongyang wants to boost national pride…,While desperate for outside relief as his economy decays under crippling U.S.-led sanctions and pandemic-related difficulties, Kim has showed no willingness to surrender the nuclear weapons and missiles he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.” -

The Japanese coast guard issues a warning a missile has been launched but may have already landed even tho they don't know how far it went or where it is ?

Was it atomic ?

Ballistic ?

Biological ?

No fatalities ?

Grandiose surveillance

Is it still not godamn obvious by now? What a weak state the US has become......

Is it still not godamn obvious by now? What a weak state the US has become......

What are you suggesting the US do?

Be specific.

Good for you @Fight 10:55am. You’re coming around: “What are you suggesting the US do? Be specific.”

So then, the U.S. bases already here as a deterrent to this regime actually dropping one, accidentally or intentionally, on Japan serves a purpose, *right *??

I was once critical to Japan's no strong response other than "it's regretful" official statement. But I now rethink that it may turn out to be sensible as Japan has never given the North anything but a routine statement while staying vigilant. The series of missile launch still run as a breaking news whose its value has however fallen off.

The North's Kim must be getting frustrated s its brinkmanship diplomacy has taken no effect on Japan (and the US as well).

NK is desperate for AID. This is NK's way of lashing out for attention because they do not know how to communicate with their words like babies. Asia has quite of few countries led by adult children. Remember, the US knows because trump was our president for 4 years. Take Lil Kim on an expense paid weekend vacation, and he will be quiet.

Moon Jae-in may have finally understood the failure of his reconciliation policy. Is it the first time for him to condemn North Korea? North Korea seems to hope the victory of Korean conservative party's candidate for the president election. Moon Jae-in is very pity.

North Korea on Sunday fired what appeared to be the most powerful missile it has tested since U.S. President Joe Biden took office, as it revives its old playbook in brinkmanship to wrest concessions from Washington and neighbors amid a prolonged stalemate in diplomacy.

The difference of national strength between North Korea and the U.S. is astounding. The GNI of the U.S. was: $21,684,492,000,000 in 2019 while that of North Korea was estimated to be 1/45th less than that.  And yet North Korea is intimidating the U.S. by repeating the test launches of missiles to come to a negotiating table?    

Doesn't North Korea's purpose lie outside this?

"and reached a maximum altitude of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) and traveled 800 kilometers (497 miles) before landing in the sea."

I hope they have that wrong!!

This is a new waste disposal system invented by the North Koreans. Shoot the garbage into the sea as far away as you can. Out of sight, out of mind.

Just ignore their North Koreans and their antics designed to attract attention. Unless they hit a whale going about its business, these launches are no threat to anyone. When they actually attack something or someone, then react with all force necessary. Until then just keep the sanctions in place and ignore them.

Kim is so DESPERATE for the kind of Attention -- Donald used to pay to him...

The life and times of North Korean reality TV, the missile launch into the sea of Japan.

A real rating winner.

NK needs to stay in the news, thats all.

It wants to remind Washington and Seoul that trying to topple it would be too costly.

But the ROK can, in about 2 weeks. North Korea estimates 1 month before the ROK takes over all of North Korea.

That's what's so scary about the present day military might of the ROK which is now in the league of China and Russia.

Nuclear missiles are Kim's only means to deter the possible ROK invasion to topple his regime and force a unification.

voiceofokinawaToday  01:30 pm JST

The difference of national strength between North Korea and the U.S. is astounding. The GNI of the U.S. was: $21,684,492,000,000 in 2019 while that of North Korea was estimated to be 1/45th less than that.  And yet North Korea is intimidating the U.S. by repeating the test launches of missiles to come to a negotiating table?   

The DPRK is trying to intimidate the US into coming to the negotiating table. It has never worked and never will.

The three main empires each benefit any time Kim does something militarily. The US can use Kim's missiles to justify even more defense spending; and China and the Russian Federation can see the world noticing what the Kim regime is doing, getting the world to be wary of Kim, and later should they need to use his loose cannon behavior for their own benefit. They can both say it wasn't us who did that, maybe it was Kim. Russia can also use its gas&war partner Iran similarly.

Little no peep has lost his mind again so he goes and blow off more fire works. I NEED RICE!

While their children and families starve.

I now see where Putin is getting his ideas regarding Ukraine from. Putin needs a conflict to distract his populace from his failings a leader and with the failings of their system of government.

All 3 nations (Russia, China, and NK) wants to keep the Biden administration occupied and pressured in hopes that trump will be re-elected and continue his destruction of the US.

All 3 countries want revenge on the US, and second country wants to replace the US as the global leader.

An undeniable fact mind you.

Can't be denied.

The 10 missiles fired off by the country this month, including two rockets topped with new hypersonic glide vehicles, already equal the total fired in all of last year.

You can berate the Trump administration all you like now.

Carry on!

Just another day in the APAC.

I see many do not like to read the truth. But why?

My above is factual correct? Prove me wrong. I only write things worth writing or commenting on.

Facts not fiction.

AlongfortherideToday  01:36 pm JST

"and reached a maximum altitude of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) and traveled 800 kilometers (497 miles) before landing in the sea."

I hope they have that wrong!!

Did you read this part? "the missile was launched on a lofted trajectory,"

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine the missile being fired vertically and then changing direction only slightly until reaching maximum altitude before curving back down towards Earth and hitting a point 800 km away from its launch site. Distance travelled over the surface is 800 km, total distance travelled is more than 4,000 km.

The US side needs to accelerate its laser development. Tests on 10kw and 50kw have been successful on smaller targets like mortars and artillery rounds. They need to get to about 1Mw to have a chance to shoot down ballistic missiles. The problem is, if the USA succeeds and makes laser defences operational, it will be profoundly destabilizing as the missiles and hyperglide vehicles of opposing states will become useless. The most dangerous time in the world will be several years from now when those countries realize they can either strike first just before the USA is technically able to shoot the missiles down, or have their precious and expensive WMDs become so much junk.

What they lack in potatoes they make up for in ambition. And support from communist China.

If North Korea wasn't arming itself to the teeth, it would be evidence the authorities there have lost their minds. Still, they can't be safe until they have at least 10s of nuclear warheads ready to be delivered to US cities on a moments notice. If North Korea wasn't bordering Russia and China, USA would have probably already nuked most of the country.

I now see where Putin is getting his ideas regarding Ukraine from. Putin needs a conflict to distract his populace from his failings a leader and with the failings of their system of government.

Talk about reverse psychology!

I guess the boy leader is feeling neglected and ignored again. "I want attention, wah! "

@OssanJapan

The DPRK is trying to intimidate the US into coming to the negotiating table. It has never worked and never will.

This doesn't matter. Kim's objective is to finish development and deploy nuclear deterrent, the only guarantee that Kim thinks the ROK and the US won't try to invade his kingdom.

Every time North Korea launches a missile, one step it gets closer to achieving that goal.

So North Korean missiles launches are really all about completing nuclear deterrent and has nothing to do with negotiating with the US.

This is what most people don't get about North Korea's motivations.

Samit Basu,

So North Korean missiles launches are really all about completing nuclear deterrent and has nothing to do with negotiating with the US.

So, you think North Korea's real intention of repeating missile launches and nuclear weapons tests is to upgrade its deterrence capability, not necessarily for intimidating the gigantic U.S. to come to a negotiating table and give them reparations for not engaging in such tests.

I agree with your opinion. So, before negotiations are successfully held, North Korea would have perfected the know-how of building such missiles.