North Korean Missile Launches: Adding Up to Something Very Troubling

North Korea fired three medium-range missiles over the course of a few minutes as world leaders gathered for the G20 summit in Hangzhou. The missiles went about 950 kilometers, landing near Japan, signaling that North Korea could have hit the summit’s host city. Less than a week later, the isolated, poor nation conducted an underground nuclear test. Analysts suggest that North Korea’s missile program is progressing and diversifying, perhaps capable of evading missile-defense systems. “North Korea has been concentrating on developing road-mobile missiles that can be fueled in a shelter or tunnel, instead of on a traditional launchpad that can be detected by satellites – and theoretically invite a preemptive strike,” reports Anna Fifield for the Washington Post. Japan did not detect the launch in advance. “The international community should take ‘a resolute response’ and have the North pay ‘a price for its provocative actions,’” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told US President Barack Obama,” reported Japan Times. North Korea, already under sanctions, relies on China for economic support. China prefers the current regime over collapse and chaos. – YaleGlobal