North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered the country’s military to boost its strike capability as he directed another missile firing, state media said yesterday, as tensions grew over tests that appeared to show development of a new advanced missile system.
Kim’s call for a “full combat posture” follows the US’ seizure of a large North Korean cargo ship accused of illicit coal shipments in breach of UN sanctions.
The increased tensions came amid a gridlock in dialogue after the second summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump collapsed over US demands for Pyongyang’s nuclear disarmament and Kim’s demands for relief from sanctions.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“[Kim] stressed the need to further increase the capability of the defense units in the forefront area and on the western front to carry out combat tasks and keep full combat posture to cope with any emergency,” the Korean Central News Agency said.
The news agency quoted Kim as saying that “genuine peace and security of the country are guaranteed only by the strong physical force capable of defending its sovereignty,” adding that he “set forth important tasks for further increasing the strike ability.”
The test of two short-range missiles on Thursday and the firing of a series of projectiles on Saturday last week were the first missile launches by North Korea since an intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2017.
The latest tests coincided with a visit to the South by US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun.
In his meeting yesterday with South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha, the ministry in a statement quoted Biegun as saying that “the door is still open for North Korea to return to the negotiating table,” and that it is very important for South Korea and the US to continue communication and cooperation.
Thursday’s missiles were fired from Kusong, northwest of the capital, Pyongyang.
One missile flew 420km and the other 270km, both reaching an altitude of about 50km before falling into the sea, South Korea’s military said.
North Korean state media did not give details of the missiles.
The multiple tests signaled that North Korea is serious about deploying an operational fleet of the missiles, which could be used in the opening hours of any war with the US and South Korea, analysts said.
Washington has given no sign that it would budge on the North’s demand to lift some sanctions, as it on Thursday announced the seizure of a North Korean cargo vessel that it said was involved in the illicit shipping of coal.
The US Department of Justice said that the 17,061-tonne Wise Honest is one of the North’s largest cargo ships and it was first detained by Indonesia in April last year, but is now in the possession of the US.
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