In the early hours of Saturday (Korean time), April 28, 2017, the North Korean regime added a notch to its series of provocative acts -- it test-fired another ballistic missile. This action comes on the heels of recent warnings and counter-warnings of a possible military offensive from the United and its allies if the reclusive regime refuses to stop creating havoc in the region.
History of test-firing missiles
North Korea has a long history of test-firing ballistic missiles, both Kim Jong-un's father and grandfather caused military unrest in the Peninsula by doing the same thing.
However, those actions were taken for diplomatic reasons -- to basically draw the attention of the world to the financial plight of past North Korean governments. After each missile test, they would be bombarded with donations, which included money, food, and other necessary items. On most occasions, such humanitarian activities were massively coordinated by China, which is seen as the closest ally of the reclusive regime.
The new guy's in power
However, a new dispensation has surfaced, and the new guy's in power don't really understand why a country like North Korea should be allowed to exist under those circumstances, where millions of citizens are robbed of their human rights and dignity. President Trump and his hawkish cabinet members don't see any reason why a country like North Korea cannot be nuked or bombed.
British Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, also confirmed that Britain will do its part alongside the United States to checkmate North Korean excesses.
Treaties to fight for
China and Russia are technically embroiled in North Korean brouhaha because they both have long-time treaties with the country that must be protected. In 1961, North Korea signed the Sino-North Korean Mutual Aid and Cooperation Friendship Treaty with China, which makes it mandatory for China to protect the country whenever it is attacked.
A similar treaty, North Korean-Soviet Mutual Aid and Cooperation Friendship Treaty came into effect also in 1961 but expired after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. However, a new treaty was established in 1999.
The two countries, China and Russia, have since moved their warships or weapons toward North Korean borders to enforce their treaties.
Slim chance
After today's failed missile test, President Trump said that North Korean action humiliated China. Trump once tweeted that if China fails to fix the North Korean problem, the U.S. will. In one of his recent interviews, the U.S. leader affirmed that a "major conflict with North Korea" is a possibility. And that could lead to an all-out war if the tension continues to escalate.
