North Korea Confirms Missile Test Is In Response to Upcoming Joint US-ROK Exercise
As I speculated yesterday, the Kim regime has confirmed the missile test is linked to the upcoming joint exercise:
Anchor: North Korea has confirmed that it test-fired “new tactical guided weapons” on Thursday, with leader Kim Jong-un personally overseeing the launches. The North’s state-media described the provocations as a “solemn warning” to South Korea.
Kim Bum-soo has more.
Report: After firing two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea Thursday, North Korea has issued a warning to South Korea.
The North’s state-run media said Friday that leader Kim Jong-un personally oversaw what it called a “new tactical guided weapon” test in a show of military might.
The Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said the launch is a “solemn warning” to South Korean “military warmongers,” who were described as “running high fever in their moves to introduce the ultramodern offensive weapons and hold military exercises in defiance of the repeated warnings.”
Earlier this month, the South Korean Air Force received two U.S.-built F-35A stealth fighter jets and hopes to deploy a total of 40 by 2021. Seoul and Washington are also scheduled to stage their joint 19-2 Dongmaeng military exercise next month.
In an apparent reference to President Moon Jae-in, Kim was cited as advising the “South Korean authority” to “stop such suicidal acts as adopting new weapons and military exercises.” Kim also urged Moon to return to his reconciliatory position on display during the inter-Korean summits last year.
KBS World Radio
You can read more at the link, but notice how North Korea has no problem bashing President Moon, but are unwilling to criticize President Trump. This is because they are still hoping that President Trump will relax sanctions on them for a freeze deal. A freeze deal means they give up nothing because they are just required to stop testing. They can restart testing at a time of their choosing after collecting enough foreign revenue and then blame the U.S. for the failure of the deal.
Kim Jong-un has always said that he is waiting until the end of the year for a deal to be reached. If a deal is not reached he could restart ICBM testing. He is giving the Trump administration a preview of what he could start doing right in the middle of President Trump’s re-election campaign next year if a deal is not struck.
