THE moment North Koreans were told of Pyongyang’s missile launch over Japan has been revealed – and Kim Jong-un‘s people found out 24 hours after the rest of the world.
Veteran newsread, and a favourite of Kim’s, Ri Chun Hee, said to be Kim Jong-un’s favourite broadcaster, told the North Korean people of a “successful” missile launch.
The reporter, who works for state-owned medias, who has developed something of a cult status amongst fans for her eccentric delivery and bright pink dresses.
Wearing her trademark chima jeogori – the country’s national outfit – she beamed as she triumphantly told viewers the news.
The rocket was launched on Monday night and flew over north Japan before crashing into the sea, making it the hermit state’s longest launch yet.
Ms Hee told how Kim “guided an intermediate-range strategic ballistic rocket-launching drill of the (Korean People’s Army) Strategic Force on the spot,” according to CNN who interviewed a student Kim Su Jong, 14, who watched the news report.
She said: “As long as as we have our very capable Korean People’s Army and the leadership of Marshall Kim Jong Un, we don’t have any enemy we cannot conquer.”
Kim oversaw the launch of North Korea’s latest long-range ballistic missile test which flew 1,700 miles over Japan.
The dictator was pictured laughing with top officials as the Hwasong-12 was unleashed and later warned the launch was a mere ‘curtain raiser”.
The official Korean Central News Agency cited Kim as saying that ‘more ballistic rocket launching drills with the Pacific as a target in the future’ were necessary.
State media boasted the test was timed to mark the 107th anniversary of the “disgraceful” Japan-Korea treaty of 1910, under which Tokyo colonised the Korean peninsula.
It was part of “a bold plan to make the cruel Japanese islanders insensible on bloody August 29”, the KCNA agency said, adding the test was a “meaningful prelude to containing Guam”, the US Pacific base.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the launch of the missile was “outrageous”.
He said: “This is an unprecedented serious and grave threat.
“We absolutely do not tolerate the nuclear and missile development by North Korea.”
In London, the Foreign Office summoned North Korea’s ambassador Choe Il for a meeting with Asia Minister Mark Field to underscore the UK’s position on the missile programme.
US President Donald Trump has said “all options” are on the table, reviving his implied threat of pre-emptive US military action just days after congratulating himself that Kim appeared to be “starting to respect us”.