North Korea training for an attack on US bases in Japan

Nuclear-armed North Korea said Tuesday its missile launches were training for a strike on US bases in Japan, as President Trump warned Kim Jong-Un of 'dire consequences' and deployed missiles to South Korea.

The latest declaration from Pyongyang comes the day after it launched four ballistic missiles 600 miles into the Sea of Japan, in an alarming show of strength.

On Tuesday, the regime also released pictures of King Jong-Un watching the launch of the missiles and applauding with a wild grin on his face. 

  

Three of the four missiles fired Monday came down provocatively close to US ally Japan, in waters that are part of its exclusive economic zone, representing a challenge to US President Donald Trump.

In a phone call, Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned that the threat from North Korea had 'entered a new stage.'

Meanwhile, Washington and Seoul have agreed to deploy a US missile defense system called THAAD to South Korea, which has infuriated China, the North's key diplomatic ally and crucial to efforts to persuade it to change its ways. 

And the UN Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting for Wednesday after a request by Washington and Tokyo to discuss additional measures following the launch.

Under UN resolutions, Pyongyang is barred from any use of ballistic missile technology, and the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said on Twitter that the world 'won't allow' North Korea to continue on its 'destructive path.'

THADD, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, systems are in place in Hawaii and Guam to defend against North Korea but this is the first time the US has deployed one in South Korea, NBC News reported.

Parts of the THAAD system arrived in South Korea by Monday, despite Beijing's proclamation that the US defense system is 'a clear, present and substantive threat to China's security interests.' 

Trump has described North Korea as a 'big, big problem' and vowed to deal with the issue 'very strongly.'

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Monday the administration was taking steps to 'enhance our ability to defend against North Korea's ballistic missiles.'

The New York Times reported at the weekend that under former president Barack Obama the US stepped up cyber attacks against North Korea to try to sabotage its missiles before launch or just as they lift off. 

Source:Daily Mail