VOA新闻杂志2022--朝鲜发射导弹通过日本上空

North Korea Sends Intermediate-range Missile over Japan

North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile Tuesday that flew farther than any of the country's earlier attempts. It was the first time since 2017 that a North Korean missile flew over Japan. The Japanese government warned people to move to a place of safety.

Officials in Tokyo and Seoul said the missile flew between 4,500 to 4,600 kilometers. It travelled as high as 1,000 kilometers above Earth. Missiles are flown high to avoid entering airspace of neighboring countries.

South Korea's military said it appeared to have been an intermediate-range ballistic missile launched from North Korea's Jagang Province. North Korea has launched several recent tests from there.

Japan warned its citizens to go into shelters. It also stopped some train services while the missile passed over its north toward the Pacific Ocean

'Ironclad' committment

American President Joe Biden spoke² to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the phone after the missile test Tuesday. Biden assured him that the United States has an "ironclad commitment" to Japan's defense³.

The two leaders jointly⁵ condemned⁶ the missile test, the Biden administration said in a statement. It also said the U.S. would work closely with South Korea and the international community to decide how to deal with the issue.

The United States, South Korea and Japan are currently holding joint⁴ military exercises. American and South Korean warplanes test-bombed a target in the Yellow Sea following North Korea's missile flight.

American Vice¹ President Kamala Harris visited the area last week and spoke at the border between the Koreas. She said North Korea was weakening the area's security.

North Korea accuses the United States and its allies of threatening it with exercises and defense buildups.

Japan said it took no steps to shoot the missile down. But Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said it would consider all measures.

South Korea also said it would increase its military and cooperation with allies.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea "strongly condemned" North Korea's firing of the missile over Japan. The three countries also condemned North Korea's violation⁷ of UN Security Council resolutions and the threat to peace.

Blinken said that it is important for the three countries to cooperate in holding North Korea "accountable for its unacceptable behavior."

'Real-world' test

Ankit Panda is an expert on nuclear policy with the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He said that flying a missile such a long distance permits North Korea's scientists to test it under realistic conditions. It puts the missile under the stress of re-entering the atmosphere.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called the test "reckless" and said it would bring a decisive response from his country, its allies and the international community.

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called North Korea's action "barbaric."

Daniel Kritenbrink, the top American diplomat⁸ for East Asia, said the launch over Japan was "not a productive path forward" but Washington is still open to talks.

Words in This Story

ballistic missile – n. a missile with a high, arching path, which is powered and guided at first, but falls under gravity on to its target.

range – n. the distance between a target and a weapon

stress – n. strong physical pressure applied⁹ to an object

ironclad – adj. unbreakable

commitment – n. a promise to do something

reckless – adj. not concerned about the consequences of some action; without caution; careless

barbaric – adj. without civilizing influences; uncivilized; primitive

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

5 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

6 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

7 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

8 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

9 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。