Politics

North Korea’s threat to Australia just got a whole lot bigger

Jul 05, 2017

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, as seen on Fox News.

North Korea claims to have conducted its first successful test of a long-range missile and says can reach anywhere in the world.

That includes Australia, with speculation they could hit Darwin or Cairns with their nukes.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop called North Korea “provocative” for testing the missile, which they claimed was an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM.

The missile they launched Tuesday morning reached a height of 2,802 kilometres, reports Korea Central Television. If that is the case it would be the highest altitude a North Korean missile had ever reached.

The launch came just days after President Donald Trump spoke with Japanese and Chinese leaders about the North Korean threat, and according to North Korean media was a ‘gift’ to the US from leader Kim Jong Un, sent on the eve of July 4.

Trump took to Twitter to put his own thoughts forward about the launch.

“North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?” Trump wrote.

North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2017

He followed up that tweet with this.

….and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2017

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued a statement that said they condemned the test.

“Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world,” Rex Tillerson wrote.

“Global action is required to stop a global threat. Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime. All nations should publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to their pursuit of nuclear weapons.”