Following the latest missile launch by North Korea over the Japanese island of Hokkaido, the U.S. conducted a series of military drills in a clear display of power. American and South Korean fighter jets flew over the eastern province of Gangwon, where they carried out a mock bombing.
According to CNN, altogether, four US F-35, two US B-1B bombers, and four South Korean F-15 fighter jets were deployed in the drill.
Still, according to the network, who heard a U.S. Military official, the flyover was an attempt to “counter” the continuous missile launches and threats from North Korea.
Turning South Korean into ruin
In turn, the secluded regime stated that more attacks will happen, reports CNN. Kim Jong-un, North Korea's leader, said that the tests are just a prelude to future military options aimed at Guam, an island in the Pacific that holds some strategic U.S. Military bases.
The Supreme Leader, as he is called in the country, also said that his enemies (especially the U.S. And South Korea) should not forget that North Korea has enough power to turn the whole of its southern neighbor into ruin.
Options on the table
If North Korea seems to not be backing down on the rhetoric, the same can be said about President Donald Trump. On Twitter, that is his preferred communication tool, he said that “talking is not the answer.”
In contrast, the President’s top aides are for the diplomatic solution. According to BBC, Secretary of Defense James Mattis said on Thursday that the U.S. is “never out of diplomatic solutions” regarding North Korea. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has always been moderate on the issue. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, cited by ABC News, the Secretary said that the U.S. will continue a peaceful pressure campaign “working with allies, working with China as well, to see if we can bring the regime in Pyongyang to the negotiating table.”
Japan
According to CNN, there was yet another call between President Trump and the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
During the conversation, still according to the network, the two leaders said that they are in complete agreement about their strategy, their plan for how to deal with North Korea. The details of the plan, though, were not revealed. The U.S. is trying to increase the pressure on the regime with new sanctions, although such measures will only take effect if endorsed by China, its most important trading partner.
The U.S. is trying to increase the pressure on the regime with new sanctions, although such measures will only take effect if endorsed by China, its most important trading partner. In spite of all the rhetoric, both sides of this disagreement – North Korea and the United States - know that the military option is the worse and should be avoided at all costs, because, as nearly all military analysts agree upon, a conflict would be catastrophic.