The 30th November was a red letter day for North Korea and its leader Kim Jong-un, as he demonstrated to the world that North Korea had tested an ICBM. The Hwasong-15 missile soared 4,475 kilometers (2,800 miles) and landed in the Pacific. It sent a clear message that North Korea has the capability to strike the American mainland in the near future. This launch has put the nation in the Big League and its scientists have achieved what other nuclear powers like Pakistan, India, as well as Israel have not yet achieved. It also shows that the sanctions imposed on the country at the behest of the US have had no effect on the nuclear policy of the regime.
CNN has detailed this news.
US and allies alarmed
The USA and the two frontline states South Korea and Japan are alarmed. This test puts them in the range of fire of the North and they have started hectic consultations. The BBC has reported that Donald Trump said he will give a fitting reply. The President of South Korea talked to the US president and as a retaliation fired 3 missiles hitting the spot, where the North missile had landed. The idea was to show Kim Jong that he could also be hit.
The sanctions by the UN, as widely anticipated, have had little or no impact on the determination of the Korean government to taper off its rocket and weapon testing. The request by the US to Russa to curtail its relationship with Kim Jong-Un has been rejected by Putin.
Though Trump has praised China for trying to stop the Korean tests, he appears a little naive. Practically nothing has happened on the ground to show that China has moved aggressively against its longtime ally as per the UN Security Council resolution.
Reaction to the test
Niky Hailey, the US permanent representative to the UN has called for an emergency session of the Security Council to discuss the latest north korean missile test.
Probably nothing will come out of it like the earlier council meetings.
BBC has reported that the situation in the North Korean peninsula is tense. At the back of the mind of the US, is that the North may take a unilateral decision to bomb the South, in case the US makes an attempt to hit the North Korean rocket sites.
This reality has stopped American action against the North Korean regime.
North Korea has made it plain, that at the moment there will be no negotiations, till it has the capability to hit the US mainland. The fact is, it will only negotiate as an equal.
No free lunch
In a way, North Korea is correct as can be seen from the examples of Saddam and Gaddafi. Both leaders had no power to retaliate and had no WMD. This gave the US and its allies a free run. Now the US and its allies have realized that dealing with North Korea, means there is no free lunch.
