The global threat presented by North Korea was heightened when the country allegedly fired short-range missiles from the East Coast. According to local news agencies in Seoul, South Korea, there were several missiles launched last Saturday, August 19. This puts the hope for a dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. (along with South Korea) in jeopardy.
Missiles launched
According to New York Times, the weapons that flew for about 155 miles originated from a coastal launch pad. The missiles reportedly fell into the sea. Meanwhile, the South Korean military is still trying to determine what kind of missiles were fired.
The launch increased the tension between North Korea and the Trump administration. The U.S. government and South Korea are currently engaged in their annual war games that will last until the end of August. Reports say that the war games could be used to prepare for the attack by Kim Jong-un.
US forces in the Pacific
The United States Pacific Command constantly monitors military movements in the Pacific. They are responsible for detecting the three missiles fired by North Korea. Commander Dave Benham said that the first among the three failed, while the second exploded immediately after launch.
Despite the increased tension, the commander stated that the missiles did not pose a threat to North America and Guam.
The country is said to be testing intercontinental ballistics that could potentially reach the lower 48 states of the U.S. This infuriated President Trump, which led to an announcement that the U.S. is willing to fight with “fire and fury” if North Korea continues with their ballistics tests. In retaliation, the North Korean military warned the US government that they would fire four ballistic missiles near Guam.
For some time, the notorious Asian country seemed to have refrained from these activities since the announcement, increasing the hope for a dialogue between the two countries. This made officials in the U.S. think the Kim Jong-un’s restraint is a sign of respect to the U.S. However, all that hope diminished due to the recent missile launch.
Recently, U.S. government officials visited South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The United Nations Security Council also released new sanctions towards the unfriendly advances of Kim Jong-un. South Korea is still carefully calculating the next step as to how they wanted to get involved. Their president said that the act might not be geared towards the U.S. since the missiles were fired opposite the direction of Guam.
