07/05/2017, 13.51
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Doubts surround power of Pyongyang missiles. Moon decides to follow the path of sanctions and dialogue

Kim Jong-un's rhetoric: The Missile, "a gift to American bastards," on Independence Day. "Now we can hit the whole world." But the missile may have disintegrated into the air, on re-entering the atmosphere. Doubts about the ability to miniaturize nuclear warheads to be included in the missile cone. At the UN Security Council, the US will seek further sanctions. Seoul reiterates the importance of the path of dialogue. Antonio Guterres: The international community must remain united.

Seoul (AsiaNews) - The UN Security Council rallied this afternoon in emergency session to find solutions to North Korea's violation of UN indications, with yesterday’s missile launch, which it called "intercontinental" and capable of targeting "anywhere in the world".

With great rhetoric, Pyongyang broadcast the words of Kim Jong-un, who described the missile as a "gift to American bastards," on July 4, Independence Day. Apparently, he added, "We have to send gifts like this every now and then, to help them break the boredom."

The United States, Japan and South Korea have called for emergency UN meeting. Rex Tillerson, US Secretary of State, has already called for "global" decisions, to meet "the global threat," and want sanctions to block North Korean workers abroad, the national airline, to fines countries - like China - who trade with Pyongyang.

In recent months, visiting Seoul, Tillerson also admitted the possibility of military action against the North. In response, today the US command in Seoul and the South Korean army launched missiles in southern territorial waters, almost as a threat.

North Korea claims yesterday’s launch is the "final stage" in creating a "confident and powerful nuclear state capable of striking anywhere in the world".

The United States also confirms the "intercontinental" nature of yesterday's launch, and its "global threat". But some experts doubt this.

According to Pyongyang, the missile flew for 933 km, reaching an altitude of 2800 km, before falling into the Sea of Japan, after 39 minutes. Experts confirm the launch, but doubt it was a success because no one registered its fall at sea. That means the missile could have been destroyed by high temperature (7,000 degrees) when it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. Another expert's doubts concern Pyongyang's ability to "miniaturize" nuclear bombs to fit into the missile tip.

In a meeting with South Korean parliament today, Defense Minister Han Min-koo said there is no evidence of the missile’s ability to return into atmosphere. He also said that the "miniaturization" of nuclear warheads by the North has reached "considerable" levels, though not complete.

President Moon Jae-in announced that despite Pyongyang's provocation, he will stay the path of sanctions, but also of dialogue, favoring a meeting between the North and the South.

Lim Eul-chul, professor at the Kyungnam University Institute of East Indies studies, explains that "the current situation cannot be solved through military action, pressure and sanctions. The North has gone all the way in its nuclear program, showing that it has missiles and nuclear capability. Now is the time for dialogue. "

The theme of dialogue is also important within the international community. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday condemned the North Korean missile test as "another brutal violation of Security Council resolutions," which is also "a dangerous escalation of the situation"

He demanded that Pyongyang's leadership "cease these continuing acts of provocation and respect its international obligations fully."

Guterres also stressed that it is important for the international community “to remain united in the face of this huge challenge". The reference is to the differing between positions between the United States and China. Beijing wants dialogue between Pyongyang and the international community without any conditions; Washington demands that nuclear and missile tests be blocked before the beginning of the dialogue.

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