North Korea missile strike 'a threat to the world'
US calls for UN Security Council meeting and global action against Pyongyang
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile launch is "a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region and the world".
Saying that "global action is required to stop a global threat", he added: "Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime."
The US and South Korea responded to the latest launch with a large-scale ballistic missile exercise in the region, which officials said was a warning to North Korea.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Washington has called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the missile test. A closed-door session of the 15-member body is expected later today.
According to David Wright, at the Union of Concerned Scientists, based on the time it took Pyongyang's new missile to travel 578 miles on a "high, lofted trajectory", it would have "a maximum range of roughly 4,160 miles, or 6,700 kilometres, on a standard trajectory".
That, he told the New York Times, "would not be enough to reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska".
Adam Mount, from the Center for American Progress, said there were few good options for the US to deal with a nuclear-armed North Korea.
"You can't try to stop North Korea crossing a threshold - it's already crossed (it)," he said, reports CNN. "What are the sanctions for? What do we get out of pressuring China or North Korea? I think we need to step back and rethink."
Tillerson also said the US "will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea".
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Airplane food is reportedly getting much worse
Cockroaches and E. coli are among the recent problems encountered in the skies
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What Mike Huckabee means for US-Israel relations
In the Spotlight Some observers are worried that the conservative evangelical minister could be a destabilizing influence on an already volatile region
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: November 19, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published