North Korea says missile ready for mass production, U.S. questions progress
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS | Mon May 22, 2017 | 6:48pm EDT
North Korea says missile ready for mass production, U.S. questions progress
By Ju-min Park and Phil Stewart | SEOUL/WASHINGTON
North Korea said on Monday it successfully tested what it called an intermediate-range ballistic missile, which met all technical requirements and could now be mass-produced, although U.S. officials and experts questioned the extent of its progress.
The United States, which has condemned repeated North Korean missile launches, said Sunday's launch of what North Korea dubbed the Pukguksong-2 was of a "medium-range" missile, and U.S.-based experts doubted the reliability of the relatively new solid-fuel type after so few tests.
U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the test did not demonstrate a new capability, or one that could threaten the United States directly. But the test was North Korea's second in a week and South Korea's new liberal government said it dashed its hopes for peace.
U.S. officials have been far less sanguine about the test of a long-range KN-17, or Hwasong-12, missile just over a week ago, which U.S. officials believe survived re-entry to some degree.
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