This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/north-korea-unveils-home-made-engine-for-missile-capable-of-striking-us/2016/04/08/bd5e3b6e-d3a7-4c81-8d17-98ee5bee03d7_story.html
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| North Korea unveils homemade engine for missile capable of striking U.S. | North Korea unveils homemade engine for missile capable of striking U.S. |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| TOKYO — North Korea has unveiled what it said was a domestically designed engine for an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States, the latest in a steady drumbeat of threats coming from Kim Jong Un’s regime. | TOKYO — North Korea has unveiled what it said was a domestically designed engine for an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States, the latest in a steady drumbeat of threats coming from Kim Jong Un’s regime. |
| Saturday’s announcement, through the official Korean Central News Agency, could not be immediately verified. But analysts said Pyongyang’s constant boasts of military advances have sent a clear message to the United States. | Saturday’s announcement, through the official Korean Central News Agency, could not be immediately verified. But analysts said Pyongyang’s constant boasts of military advances have sent a clear message to the United States. |
| “With all the missiles they’re building, the ranges are getting longer and they’re going to be able to throw more stuff further,” said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, Calif. | “With all the missiles they’re building, the ranges are getting longer and they’re going to be able to throw more stuff further,” said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, Calif. |
| “It seems pretty clear that they’re sick of us making fun of them, and they’re going to shove it down our throats,” Lewis said. | “It seems pretty clear that they’re sick of us making fun of them, and they’re going to shove it down our throats,” Lewis said. |
| North Korea recently unveiled a KN-08 road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, also known as a Rodong-C, but with engines that did not look like those that had powered other recent launches. This left nuclear scientists scratching their heads. | North Korea recently unveiled a KN-08 road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, also known as a Rodong-C, but with engines that did not look like those that had powered other recent launches. This left nuclear scientists scratching their heads. |
| [North Korean restaurant workers defect en masse to South Korea] | [North Korean restaurant workers defect en masse to South Korea] |
| On Saturday, KCNA said that North Korea had successfully tested, under Kim’s supervision, a new “indigenously designed” engine at the Sohae missile launch site near the country’s west coast. | On Saturday, KCNA said that North Korea had successfully tested, under Kim’s supervision, a new “indigenously designed” engine at the Sohae missile launch site near the country’s west coast. |
| “Now the DPRK can tip new type intercontinental ballistic rockets with more powerful nuclear warheads and keep any cesspool of evils in the earth, including the U.S. mainland, within our striking range and reduce them to ashes so that they may not survive in our planet,” Kim Jong Un said, according to KCNA, referring to North Korea by its official acronym. | |
| Previous estimates of North Korea’s firepower had it just able to reach the continental United States, but if it had successfully manufactured an 80-ton booster — as the Treasury Department recently claimed in sanctions against Pyongyang — it would put the U.S. mainland within relatively easy reach, analysts said. | Previous estimates of North Korea’s firepower had it just able to reach the continental United States, but if it had successfully manufactured an 80-ton booster — as the Treasury Department recently claimed in sanctions against Pyongyang — it would put the U.S. mainland within relatively easy reach, analysts said. |
| Since North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test in January, Kim’s regime has crowed about a whole range of technical leaps and bounds, from road-mobile multiple rocket launchers and solid-fuel rocket engines to being able to make a nuclear warhead small enough to attach to a missile. | Since North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test in January, Kim’s regime has crowed about a whole range of technical leaps and bounds, from road-mobile multiple rocket launchers and solid-fuel rocket engines to being able to make a nuclear warhead small enough to attach to a missile. |
| These advances have been accompanied by a series of threats to blow up New York City, the White House and South Korea’s presidential Blue House. | These advances have been accompanied by a series of threats to blow up New York City, the White House and South Korea’s presidential Blue House. |
| Although North Korea has fired a range of projectiles, it has not demonstrated an ability to successfully fire a nuclear-tipped missile and hit a target. That would almost certainly be suicide, given the retaliation from the United States and South Korea that it would provoke. | Although North Korea has fired a range of projectiles, it has not demonstrated an ability to successfully fire a nuclear-tipped missile and hit a target. That would almost certainly be suicide, given the retaliation from the United States and South Korea that it would provoke. |
| [North Korea works around the clock to prepare for Kim Jong Un’s ‘70-day campaign’] | [North Korea works around the clock to prepare for Kim Jong Un’s ‘70-day campaign’] |
| But an increasing number of military top brass and scientists say that if North Korea doesn’t have this capability yet, it’s just a matter of time until it does. | But an increasing number of military top brass and scientists say that if North Korea doesn’t have this capability yet, it’s just a matter of time until it does. |
| South Korean government officials said this week that they thought North Korea had now mastered this technology, while Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, and Adm. William Gortney, head of the U.S. Northern Command, have both said the same. | South Korean government officials said this week that they thought North Korea had now mastered this technology, while Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, and Adm. William Gortney, head of the U.S. Northern Command, have both said the same. |
| “I assess that they have the ability to put an ICBM in space and reach the continental United States and Canada,” Gortney said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last month. | “I assess that they have the ability to put an ICBM in space and reach the continental United States and Canada,” Gortney said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last month. |
| North Korea’s boasts come at a sensitive time on the peninsula. The United States and South Korea are conducting joint military drills — which Pyongyang views as a pretext for an invasion — through the end of this month, while North Korea is preparing for its first Workers’ Party Congress in 36 years. | North Korea’s boasts come at a sensitive time on the peninsula. The United States and South Korea are conducting joint military drills — which Pyongyang views as a pretext for an invasion — through the end of this month, while North Korea is preparing for its first Workers’ Party Congress in 36 years. |
| The regime has been laying the groundwork for next month’s meeting, where Kim is expected to try to bolster his legitimacy as the young, third-generation leader of North Korea. Being able to crow about a strong nuclear deterrent would be a good way to do that, analysts say. | The regime has been laying the groundwork for next month’s meeting, where Kim is expected to try to bolster his legitimacy as the young, third-generation leader of North Korea. Being able to crow about a strong nuclear deterrent would be a good way to do that, analysts say. |
| Read more | Read more |
| North Korea has new rocket system that could strike Seoul this year, South Korea warns | North Korea has new rocket system that could strike Seoul this year, South Korea warns |
| N. Korea boasts of big leap in arms with solid-fuel rocketry | N. Korea boasts of big leap in arms with solid-fuel rocketry |
| EM-dummyText North Korea threatens to ‘scorch’ South Korea’s presidential offices | EM-dummyText North Korea threatens to ‘scorch’ South Korea’s presidential offices |
| Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world | Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world |