Tensions are once again very high on the Korean peninsula where this morning Pyongyang launched yet another ballistic missile which traveled a distance of at least 700 kilometers (800 according to Japanese sources) before falling into the Sea of Japan. The chiefs of staff of the South Korean armed forces were the first to confirm the launch, specifying that it took place near Kusong City, in the province of North Pyongang, already the scene of another medium-range ballistic test on 12 February.
After two weeks of "truce", therefore, the Pyongyang regime has returned to make itself heard with a new test, immediately described as "a provocation" by the new South Korean president Moon Jae-in, who recently took office in Seoul. The latter immediately convened and chaired an emergency meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the matter. The launch is "a clear violation of UN resolutions" and "a serious threat to regional security", commented Moon Jae-in who invited Pyongyang to work on resuming dialogue.
In the same minutes, the Tokyo government expressed a formal protest over the launch of the missile, defining the act 'absolutely unacceptable'. Both the flight time and the unusual altitude of 1.000 kilometers reached by the missile could in fact lead to the hypothesis of a quantum leap by North Korea
President Donald Trump "cannot imagine that Russia is happy" with the missile test as the missile fell very close to Russian territory. And then he points out that the missile landed closer to Russia than to Japan. The White House then remarks that the United States is maintaining its "iron commitment" to stand by its allies in the face of the serious threat posed by North Korea.
The willingness to involve Russia, and also China, in a diplomatic encirclement operation was finally confirmed again by Shinzo Abe who presented himself a second time in front of journalists to say that "Japan is collaborating closely with the United States and South Korea and is analyzing the situation to respond firmly to any evolution".
