Trump: 'All Options On The Table' After North Korea Missile Test
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WASHINGTON D.C. (CBSMiami) — North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Japan Monday night and President Donald Trump now says "all options are on the table."
The midrange ballistic missile was designed to carry a nuclear payload. It splashed down into the northern Pacific Ocean and is being seen as an escalation of aggression from the communist country.
Trump said in a written statement Tuesday that "threatening and destabilizing actions" only increase North Korea's isolation in the region and around the world.
The president says North Korea's actions show "contempt for its neighbors" and that "all options are on the table" in terms of a U.S. response.
Sirens wailed throughout Japan warning people to take shelter as the missile flew right over the country.
The missile traveled 1,600 miles, over the island of Hokkaido, before it came down in the ocean.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the launch "a reckless act" and an "unprecedented threat."
He spoke with President Trump on the phone.
The U.S and Japan called for an immediate meeting of the UN Security Council to address the latest launch.
"It's unacceptable. They have violated every single UN Security Council resolution that we've had so I think something serious has to happen," said Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.
North Korea's ambassador to the UN in Switzerland said Tuesday morning that the launches are needed to keep their country safe from America.
"DPRK will continue to strengthen its defense capability with nuclear force as a favorite, as long as the US maintains nuclear threats and non-stop military drills at the doorstep of DPRK," said Han Tae Song, North Korean Ambassador to the UN in Geneva.
The U.S. and South Korea conduct annual military exercises which the north views as preparation for an invasion.
South Korea did a live-fire bombing exercise Tuesday morning in response to the latest North Korean missile launch.
