Zain Malik
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North Korea on Friday fired what is believed to be a new medium-range missile off its east coast in its latest show of force amid high tension on the Korean peninsula.
State-run Yonhap News said on Thursday that South Korea’s military detected signs of the North deploying one or two Musudan ballistic missiles about three weeks ago in the eastern city of Wonsan. Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday’s launch appeared to have failed although they declined to confirm the missile type.
The Musudan, whose range of up to 4,000km threatens not just South Korea and Japan but also US military targets on the Pacific island of Guam, has never been fired before.
North Korea is believed to have about 50 Musudans. Military experts say the missiles can be moved around on vehicles, making them harder to track than those at fixed locations.
The isolated communist state has ratcheted up its threats in recent weeks, firing a volley of rockets and projectiles in protest against new international sanctions imposed following its fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range missile launch in February.
Friday is the birthday anniversary of Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s late founder and grandfather of current supreme leader Kim Jong Un. Pyongyang has occasionally conducted nuclear or missile tests to celebrate such anniversaries.
The missile launch also comes amid the annual joint military drills between South Korea and the US and ahead of a major Communist party convention in Pyongyang next month, which will be held for the first time in 36 years.
Mr Kim ordered North Korea’s military last month to conduct various tests of missile and nuclear devices as Pyongyang aims to develop nuclear-tipped long-range missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.
“They seem to be attempting to cause a rift in the international community by showing their determination not to bow to international sanctions,” said Chung Joon-hee, spokesman for Seoul’s unification ministry. “The missile launch also appears to be aimed at showing off Mr Kim’s achievements ahead of the party convention.”
Mr Chung added that the South Korean government was closely monitoring the situation and maintaining a strong military posture in case of any further provocations. Seoul has dispatched to the Sea of Japan a destroyer equipped with the US-made Aegis missile defence system, according to Yonhap.
we are living in fear of when the mighty norks come to liberate California. 
