Defense Secretary Says North Korea is Clearly Trying to Develop Nuclear Tipped Ballistic Missile Capability

Here is the most obvious analysis of the day:

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Friday that North Korea is “clearly” trying to build a nuclear-tipped long-range missile as Washington continues to pursue denuclearization talks with the regime.

Esper made the comment when asked to assess the extent of the threat posed by the “new strategic weapon” North Korea has threatened to unveil amid stalled denuclearization talks with the U.S.

“They have an aggressive R&D program and a test program, to say the least,” the Pentagon chief said during a seminar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “We’re conscious of what they’re trying to do. Clearly, they are trying to build a long-range ballistic missile with the ability to carry a nuclear warhead, if you will, on top of it. So it’s something we are watching very closely.”

Yonhap

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