{"id":20955,"date":"2017-07-05T15:37:41","date_gmt":"2017-07-05T10:07:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apnlive.com\/?p=20955"},"modified":"2017-07-05T15:40:33","modified_gmt":"2017-07-05T10:10:33","slug":"north-korea-icbm-test-triggers-tension","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apnlive.com\/world-news\/north-korea-icbm-test-triggers-tension\/","title":{"rendered":"North Korea ICBM test triggers tension"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Kim Jong says it was \u201cgift to American bastards\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Tension is mounting high after North Korea tested Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) on Tuesday which can reach Alaska, the US. Within hours, the US and South Korea announced they had held a new ballistic missile drill to counter \u201cNorth Korea\u2019s destabilizing and unlawful actions\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Pentagon and South Korean authorities have confirmed that US and South Korea have conducted a joint ballistic missile drill Wednesday morning. South Korean Defense Ministry in a statement said, \u201c(The drills) showcased precision targeting of the enemy\u2019s leadership in case of an emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described North Korea\u2019s ICBM test as a \u201cnew escalation\u201d and said, \u201cAs we, along with others, have made clear, we will never accept a nuclear armed North Korea.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said that the latest US and South Korea drill held Wednesday were designed to display both countries\u2019 own missile strength.<\/p>\n

However, Pyongyang\u2019s official news agency, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday, reported that leader Kim Jong Un has said that North Korea\u2019s ICBM test was a \u201cgift\u201d to \u201cAmerican bastards\u201d on their ndependence day.<\/p>\n

After overseeing the launch, the agency reported, \u201cHe said American bastards would be not very happy with this gift on the July 4 anniversary.\u201d He even laughed and added, \u201cWe should send them gifts once in a while to help break their boredom.\u201d<\/p>\n

CNN in one of the analysis says, \u201cA paradigm changing North Korea<\/a> missile test has left US and China split over how to deal with the aggressive rogue state. While China and Russia have called for concessions on both sides, US have so far made no public move to open talks, instead opting to engage in a renewed military show of force with its South Korean ally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping<\/a>, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a joint press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, said both leaders wanted \u201cpeace and stability\u201d on the Korean peninsula. Putin further said, \u201cIt is very important to push forward our joint initiative on setting the Korean problem with a view of immediately freezing the ballistic missiles and also dealing with the US deployment of weapons in South Korea.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"