A defiant Kim Jong-Un seemingly taunted the United States after a successful test of the intercontinental ballistic missile he said was ‘a gift for American bastards on July 4.’
The North Korean leader made the haughty statement after the ICBM was launched Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency reported. But the U.S. quickly responded along with South Korea by conducting a joint ballistic missile drill.
South Korea says the response was ‘intended as a strong warning against North Korean provocation.’
‘Eighth U.S. Army and Republic of Korea (ROK) military personnel conducted a combined event exercising assets countering North Korea’s destabilizing and unlawful actions on July 4,’ a statement from US and South Koran officials reads.
‘This exercise utilized the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Republic of Korea Hyunmoo Missile II, which fired missiles into territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast.
‘The system can be rapidly deployed and engaged. The deep strike precision capability enables the ROK-U.S. Alliance to engage the full array of time critical targets under all weather conditions.’
The statement adds that South Korea and the U.S. are ‘committed to peace and prosperity on the Koran Peninsula and throughout the Asia-Pacific.
‘The U.S. commitment to the defense of the ROK in the face of threats is ironclad.’