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Moon: ‘N.K. will only gain isolation, economic hardship through provocations’

Moon: ‘N.K. will only gain isolation, economic hardship through provocations’

Posted June. 09, 2017 07:08,   

Updated June. 09, 2017 07:23

한국어

While the complete deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system within this year has become uncertain due to the presidential office’ order to conduct full-scale environmental impact assessment of the anti-missile system site, North Korea fired four projectiles believed to surface-to-ship cruise missiles from an area near Wonsan, Gangwon Province on Thursday. The firing came 10 days after the North fired a missile from the same location on May 29. The latest firing is Pyongyang’s fifth missile provocation since the inauguration of the Moon Jae-in administration.

According to the South Korean military authority, the missile fired from transporter erector launchers flew about 200 kilometers at an altitude of up to 2 kilometers before falling into international waters. “Considering the flying trajectory and other factors, the missiles are believed to be improved versions of the KN-01 surface-to-ship and ship-to-ship cruise missiles (max range of 120 kilometers),” a South Korean military source said.

President Moon Jae-in was debriefed on the firing six times, before presiding over a National Security Council meeting held at the presidential office in the afternoon. It was the first time Moon chaired a full-member meeting of the council.

“What North Korea can gain through provocations are only international isolation and economic hardship, and the North will lose a chance for development,” Moon said at the meeting. “I proclaim that the South Korean government will never back off even a single inch or compromise.” The presidential office quoted the president as saying, ”When visiting the U.S. as the biggest ally in the near future, I will reaffirm a rock solid South Korea-U.S. alliance with President Donald Trump. It is important to find a creative, fundamental measure to deter the North’s provocations and to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.”



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