South Korea has tested the Hyunmoo-II, a missile able to penetrate thickly protected fortifications, The Diplomat’s Ankit Panda tweeted on July 30. The demonstration is widely seen as a show of force in response to North Korea’s relentless pursuit of a nuclear weapon along with an effective delivery method, as exemplified by the country’s latest ballistic missile test. Friday’s launch was the 18th such missile to be tested by North Korea this year.
As the video demonstrates, the dummy in the cave opening didn’t fare well against the South Korean-made missile. The Hyunmoo-II has a range of 800 kilometers, according to GlobalSecurity.org.
In its own display of might, the Chinese military tested 20 missiles against mock-THAAD targets and simulated US Air Force F-22 jets on Saturday, one day after Pyongyang’s most recent test, Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson reported.
The international community has consistently condemned Pyongyang’s missile tests and the violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions they represent, but even they seem to be getting tired issuing written warnings. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said on Sunday that "an additional resolution that does not significantly increase the international pressure on North Korea is of no value."
She continued that “in fact, [another resolution] is worse than nothing, but it sends the message to the North Korean dictator that the international community is unwilling to seriously challenge him.”
While US, Chinese, South Korean and North Korean forces continue testing and fine-tuning combat operations, on Tuesday US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Washington would eventually like to re-open diplomatic channels with the Kim administration. “We are not your enemy,” Tillerson said, “but you are presenting an unacceptable threat to us.”
