North Korea continued its aggressive missile testing programme, on Friday, firing a ballistic missile over Japan despite intense international pressure demanding a stop to Kim Jong-un’s weapons of mass destruction programme.
The latest Pyongyang missile test, one of its furthest-reaching yet, had the range to hit the US territory of Guam – a potential target, according to the Kim regime.
South Korea’s military said the missile reached an altitude of around 478 miles, travelling 2,229 before landing in the sea off Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido.
However, an expert has suggested North Korean missile tests will not amount to a real attack because it would be “regime suicide” for Kim Jong-un.
International politics professor Scott Lucas told talkRADIO: “What the North Koreans did today was a pretty blunt response to what is being done, which is the UN passed additional sanctions only a few days ago.
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“In this case, in a way, it’s like ok, this is a logical response in that they don’t want to show weakness, I don’t think it means a major shift that we’re any closer to military confrontation.”
Professor Scott added: “North Korea when it launches that first missile whether it’s conventional or whether it’s nuclear on anyone in the region whether it’s South Korea or Japan or if they try and his the American island of Guam, that’s regime suicide.
“The weight of the world in terms of military weight will be brought down on North Korea and China will not save them.”
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a key ally of the US, said his country would “never tolerate” such a “dangerous provocative action” after the missile crossed its territory.
South Korea instantly responded, within minutes the North’s neighbour by firing two of its own ballistic missiles into the sea in a simulated strike on Kim Jong-un’s rogue state.
A South Korean intelligence serviceman bizarrely claimed Donald Trump is the biggest threat to the Korean peninsula, adding Kim Jong-un is actually a “rational” leader.
Jong-Yip Ra, appearing on BBC Newsnight, was asked if he believes Kim Jong-un is mad, prompting his interesting response.
He said: “No. He is a highly rational man, highly competent actually.
“If the outside world reacts to the North Korean crisis in a rational sensible way I do not think there would be much chance of North Korea actually using weapons against other countries.
“I cannot make out what Washington is actually doing. The President is saying something and then the Secretary of State saying something else.
“It is a strategy, it is a tactic, or is it just confusion within the administration? I do not know.”