On Wednesday, South Korea’s military reported that North Korea fired a ballistic missile off the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula into the Sea of Japan. The launch comes just before President Donald Trump is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and discuss China’s responsibility to keep the North under control and stop threatening U.S. allies in the region.
“North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea from a site in the vicinity of Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, at around 6:42 a.m.,” the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement, according to Yonhap News Agency. “The flight distance is about 60 kilometers.”
It is believe to be “a type of KN-15 medium-range ballistic missile,” also known as a “Pukguksong-2.”
The ballistic missile is one of many that North Korea has test-fired over the last few months. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued a succinct statement on the matter.
“North Korea launched yet another intermediate range ballistic missile. The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment,” Tillerson said in a statement.
President Donald Trump made tough statements over the weekend pressuring China to do more to keep North Korea from developing and testing its arms development. During an interview with the Financial Times, President Trump said that the United States was ready to act alone against the nation led by Kim Jong-Un.
“Well, if China is not going to solve North Korea, we will. That is all I am telling you,” he said.
President Trump is scheduled to meet with President Xi at his South Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, on Thursday and Friday.
On Tuesday, CNN reported that a White House official said that “the clock has now run out and all options are on the table,” regarding North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
Senator John McCain previously made comments during an interview on MSNBC acknowledging that China is the only country that can keep North Korea in control because of the great influence they have over them.
“China is the only one that can control Kim Jong Un, this crazy fat kid that’s running North Korea,” McCain said.
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