North Korea claims US mainland within range of its missiles

SEOUL -- Isolated North Korea claimed Tuesday that the U.S. mainland is "within the scope" of its missiles, two days after South Korea struck a deal with the United States to extend the range of its ballistic missiles.

North and South Korea have been technically at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, and regional powers have for years been trying to rein in the North's nuclear weapons program.

North Korea is believed to be developing a long-range missile with a range of 4,160 miles or more aimed at hitting the United States, but two recent rocket tests both failed.

Its neighbors fear the North is using rocket launches to perfect technology to build a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the United States.

'U.S. imperialist aggression'
North Korea's National Defense Commission said in a statement that the North was prepared to counter any U.S. military threats, its KCNA news agency said.

"We do not hide (the fact) that the revolutionary armed forces ... including the strategic rocket forces are keeping within the scope of strike not only the bases of the puppet forces and the U.S. imperialist aggression forces' bases in the inviolable land of Korea, but also Japan, Guam and the U.S. mainland," KCNA said.

Official: North Korean soldier kills two officers, defects to South

Pyongyang refuses to let failed rocket launch dampen tone of festivities.

An expert in the South expressed skepticism over the claims.

"There is no evidence that North Korea has succeeded in tests of a missile with a range long enough to hit the U.S. mainland," Yun Duk-Min, a professor at Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said, according to the AFP news agency.

US-Japan agree on new defense system to counter North Korea ballistic missiles

South Korea on Sunday unveiled an agreement with the United States that extends the range of its ballistic missiles by more than twice its current limit to about 500 miles as a deterrent against the North.

North Korea is under heavy U.N. sanctions that have cut off its previously lucrative arms trade and further isolated the state after its failed 2009 missile test drew sharp rebukes, even from its one major ally, China.

Glimpses of North Korean life exposed by AP photographer

The United States has denied it has any intention to strike North Korea. It has more than 20,000 troops stationed in the South in defense of its ally against the North.

In April, under its new leader Kim Jong-un, North Korea again launched a rocket that flew just a few minutes covering a little over 60 miles before blowing up over the sea between South Korea and China.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Hey north korea you're in range of US missiles .

    Reply#291 - Tue Oct 9, 2012 1:19 PM EDT

    The President Of North Korea is a category 5 hurricane having sustained wind greater than 155 mph......catastrophic damage will occur in North and South Korea but absolutely this hurricane is no threat to the homeland, however, we have one developing, "Hurricane Romney" Mr. 47% himself, the aftermath could leave 99% of the country in shambles..........

    His mouth is as smooth as butter.....this man can sell ice to Eskimos...
    He can sell a lemon in 5 minutes......

    No wonder he bankrupted Bain Capital, fired thousands of people and hide the profits in Cayman & Switzerland Banks

    This is the same person who insulted 47% of us at a $50,000.00 fifty thousand dollars plate dinner (V.I.P. dinner) Let me pause for a moment and ask......How many Americans can afford a $50,000 dinner?......Under the cover of darkness, tight security and extreme privacy with some of his closest buddies Gov. Romney spoke what was in his heart.....that he do not care for 47% of us because we are moochers ..... two weeks later, he re-affirmed his statement.... three weeks further, as soon as the political climate swings into his direction he came out with some un-sincere apology......Frankly, I don't think Gov Romney has any credibility, he acted like a cheap prostitute on some form of drugs........

    ...............................................SOLUTION FOR TEAM ROMNEY/RYAN..................................................

    Play the 47 % TAPE 1000 times and LISTEN

    PLAY the Re-affirm TAPE 1000 times and LISTEN

    PLAY the UN-sincere apology TAPE 1000 times and LISTEN

    .........................................................REPENT OF YOUR SINS...........................................

    ..........................................................2nd CORINTHIANS 5 v 10...........................................

    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of CHRIST; that every one may receive the things done in his his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

    • 1 vote
    Reply#292 - Tue Oct 9, 2012 1:27 PM EDT

    I know Lets bring all the servicemen home and do like the old days, how about a shot across the bow? Blow a big crater next to one over thier cities and maybe they will pay attention. OH NO Thats right you chicket s*hit libs don't wanna piss ANYONE OFF, we"er just supposed to keep brrowing our life from China and let OUR children pay the tab. Go back to your hole.

      #292.1 - Tue Oct 9, 2012 4:46 PM EDT
      Reply

      North Korea doesn't have the economy or global support to do anything. At best they can sell arms and technology to the Middle East. I kind of wish at times they would do something just so we could end this line of BS news out of their country. Kim Jun-un is as much a child as his father it seems. If N Korea was a body its head would be a hugely inflated monster with a tiny withered decayed body attached in chains. Seriously Jung-un, go out and grow food and put down the toys.

        Reply#293 - Tue Oct 9, 2012 3:04 PM EDT

        let them sell there fire arms....as you can see they are selling 4 generations ago tech. take a good look on how the russan and us equipment from the 80's did for sadam.... do you realy think that the us millitay let there own people or any body else for that matter know what new toys they have.

        The Us has some crazy out there wepons far from conventional. yes the us has conventional wepons as well and they keep up on the and make sure there ahead by 15-50yrs from any body. its somthing to show off to every one. its the wepons they don't show off is the wicked ones. and some of them are quiet impressive. Very little death to people (at 1st.)

          #293.1 - Tue Oct 9, 2012 5:07 PM EDT
          Reply

          Never underestimate the enemy. They are capable of killing several hundred thousand people in SK within the first few minutes of war, including the tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers stationed there. I trained under the 2nd highest ranking Korean black belt in the world during college; these people often fight to the death to obtain that rank. The mind set of Koreans is very different thanthe west and their military receives a rigourous training most Americans can not imagine. They may not be a serious threat to our main land at present, but never take them lightly.

          • 1 vote
          Reply#294 - Tue Oct 9, 2012 5:27 PM EDT

          Hmmmm......So the US with in range, eh ???? Does NK even have the fuzziest notion of where it will land ? I have the feeling that if NK did launch a missle. It wouldn't know if it landed in Cut & Shoot Tx. or Casper Wyoming, with a aim point of Washington DC. Plus there would be several other points that would be interesting. Like.......If the missle would even lift off the pad or.....Would the missle explode while it was staging or would the missle survive, re-entry? Then there's that last little niggling problem.......Would it detonate ? NK has had problems with ALL of those things, so I'm not quite ready to start digging a bomb shelter. Where as the US could fly a W-80 warhead, thru a key hole in his front door 24/7/365.

            Reply#295 - Tue Oct 9, 2012 7:23 PM EDT

            This means NK is now in a position to hit back. US better tones down her bellicose towards NK.

              Reply#296 - Tue Oct 9, 2012 7:38 PM EDT

              This claim of the North Koreans is, as with most things they say, an outright lie. Western analysts concluded that the last thing they launched (and blew up shortly after launch) lacked any signs of even a rudimentary guidance system. The only way they're going be able to hit us is by sending somebody here, with a bomb strapped on his back.

              Nothing to see here...

                Reply#297 - Wed Oct 10, 2012 12:42 AM EDT

                I should add that I don't mean to suggest that North Korea doesn't pose a HUGE threat to South Korea. They do. They don't need missiles to send their millions of troops and their artillery shells into Seoul, which is only 35 miles or so away from the border... I'm just saying that they're pretty hilariously lying when they claim to have high tech long-range missiles.

                  #297.1 - Wed Oct 10, 2012 10:39 PM EDT

                  They have no ability to send their "millions" of ground troops across the DMZ into South Korea. The pre-planred NUCLEAR Land mines will take care of any ground assault. Is this news to you?

                    #297.2 - Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:44 PM EDT
                    Reply

                    So,Kim Jong-un is planning on testing a long range missile. The US should take this as an opportunity to test our missile interception capabilities;since we can't know if it's a test or the real thing.

                      Reply#298 - Wed Oct 10, 2012 6:02 PM EDT

                      It's Odumbo's fault . what a failed Prezbo

                      • 1 vote
                      Reply#299 - Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:49 PM EDT

                      This shouldn't be an issue? Wasn't the arrangement made we give them millions upon millions in aid and they....................................

                      • 1 vote
                      Reply#300 - Thu Oct 11, 2012 10:35 AM EDT

                      And their in range of ours, and have been for a very long time. Now what?

                        Reply#301 - Thu Oct 11, 2012 11:58 AM EDT

                        Send More Aid?

                        • 1 vote
                        Reply#302 - Thu Oct 11, 2012 5:37 PM EDT

                        Jesus !!

                        Well we are smart , now let's give them some more aid !!! That will make everything better . Then maybe they will like us . Makes me wonder , who is really more intelligent !

                          Reply#303 - Sat Oct 13, 2012 5:59 AM EDT

                          Someone give Kim Jong Un a family pass to Disneyland and everything will be hunky dory !

                          • 1 vote
                          Reply#304 - Sun Oct 14, 2012 9:15 PM EDT

                          Fact: the US is the only nation that has ever successfully delivered a nuclear strike on anyone. We are able to hit the fly sitting on the newsprint of anybody sitting in their backyard anywhere and can deliver 1000's of them. Let's let cooler heads prevail here. Anyone who thinks that what happened in Nagasaki or Hiroshima wasn't an atrosity and is willing to repeat it needs their head examined. Why can't we be friends. I no longer no why we are enemies anyway. I'm sure history bears out some reason just like the Hatfields and Mccoys, but I'd much rather love you than shoot you.

                            Reply#305 - Mon Oct 15, 2012 7:53 PM EDT

                            Noble concepts, that's all they are.

                            The Koreans are so bull headed and insist on thinking and living their own way that they can't even agree on the color of the pen to sign a treaty.

                            You cannot reason with people like this.

                            They would rather shoot us than love us, to put it bluntly.

                            In the end, one fact remains, not everyone thinks the same as we do, nor do they want the same things we do either. We have to resign to the fact that there will be no agreement, only conflict.

                              #305.1 - Mon Oct 22, 2012 8:59 PM EDT
                              Reply

                              It would be like a piss ant trying to eat a bale of hay.

                                Reply#306 - Mon Oct 15, 2012 11:33 PM EDT

                                Nk is still asleep and dreaming. The United States have all kinds of missles that can HIT any country in the whole wide world.I'm so tired of these piss poor countries pounding on their chest thinking they are scaring the united states with missle strikes.Everybody posting on here need to chill and don't worry about a thing.Our country is well protected from these dreamers.

                                • 1 vote
                                Reply#307 - Tue Oct 16, 2012 12:44 PM EDT

                                BTW don't nk know we can deliver bombs anywhere anytime no matter the wheather it's delivered ready and hot I mean really hot! we can deliver bombs in your kitchen in your bathroom,oh you going to bed,we can even deliver in your bedroom while you sleep,reading a book,making love.SO JUST LET US KNOW WHERE U WANT THE DAMN BOMB!!!!!!!! I approve this message!!!!!!

                                • 1 vote
                                Reply#308 - Tue Oct 16, 2012 12:56 PM EDT

                                Someone should tell the "Dear Leader" of North Korea that they are in the Range of our Nuclear subs. And other Weapons. When would they like to commit Suicide??

                                  Reply#309 - Wed Oct 17, 2012 7:45 PM EDT

                                  The germans invented and successfully launched the V-1, which blew up parts of England. The V-1 was essentially the first cruise missile.

                                  The germans also invented and perfected the V-2 Rocket, with a 1 ton payload. The V-2 was basically the first ballistic missile.

                                  The North Koreans don't have far to go to design ballistic missiles. They were already selling short-range missiles to Mid-East countries. The Scud was a shortrange missile, that while having only basic guidance systems, still had the power and explosives to do a lot of damage.

                                  Don't believe that sanctions have totally shut off North Korean made weapons systems from reaching the market place. The North Koreans even have the capacity to build their own AK-47s and AK-74s in large quantities to sell to clients around the world.

                                  Don't underestimate North Korea's industrial or scientific capacities. It is still a danger to peace in the Asian and Pacific Rim theater.

                                  Da Gunny

                                    Reply#310 - Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:38 PM EDT

                                    Aw, that's cute. North Korea's out of food, so they are threatening to misbehave if they don't get their way.

                                    Go ahead you little sh#t. See what happens when you piss off Uncle Sam.

                                    You think Daddy China will save you? Hah!

                                      Reply#311 - Sat Oct 20, 2012 2:08 PM EDT

                                      Imperialists, the NK leadership calls us....hmm....if we were really intent on that end, it would have already happened.

                                      Tough words from a leadership that starves it's people...

                                        Reply#312 - Mon Oct 22, 2012 8:52 PM EDT
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