North Korea test fires first SHORT-RANGE MISSILES since 2017

This will be the first time since 2017 that North Korea will test-fire short-range missiles, proving that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un still refuses to fulfil his denuclearisation pledge.

According to South Korea, there were fires reportedly from the Hodo peninsula in the east of the country which was confirmed by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

This is the first missile launch, since November 2017 that Pyongyang tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2017.

Last month Pyongyang said it had tested what it described as a new “tactical guided weapon”. That was the first test since the Vietnam summit between the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, and US President Donald Trump, which ended without an agreement.

Firing a short-range missile would not violate North Korea’s promise not to test long-range or nuclear missiles, but Pyongyang appears to be growing impatient with Washington’s insistence that full economic sanctions remain until Kim takes serious steps to dismantle his nuclear weapons programme, says the BBC’s Laura Bicker.

“We are aware of North Korea’s actions tonight. We will continue to monitor as necessary” said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

About a year ago, President Donald Trump cancelled the planned June 12 summit in Singapore with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, citing a flurry of hostile statements from North Korea. Donald Trump in the statement also told the North Korean leader “this missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history.”

The president made his announcement in a formal and at times mournful-sounding letter to Mr Kim, in which Mr Trump cited North Korea’s derisive statements about Vice President Mike Pence as the specific reason for cancelling the meeting.

President Trump said in the letter to Kim that based on the statement, he felt it was “inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting.” He said;

I have decided to terminate the planned Summit in Singapore on June 12th. While many things can happen and a great opportunity lies ahead potentially, I believe that this is a tremendous setback for North Korea and indeed a setback for the world…

The president says the North Koreans talk about their nuclear capabilities, “but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used.”