After Joe Biden made his first Asia visit since he took office, four days later, North Korea has test-fired three missiles off its east coast, including a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
Here’s an excerpt from an ABC News report:
North Korea warned the US would face “a very grave situation” on Sunday, alleging that President Joe Biden ” “made a big blunder” in his previous speech by referring to the North as a security threat.
Last week, Biden, in his first address to Congress, called North Korea and Iran’s nuclear programs “serious threats” to American and world security and said he’ll work with allies to address those problems through diplomacy and stern deterrence.
“His statement clearly reflects his intent to keep enforcing the hostile policy toward the DPRK as it had been done by the U.S. for over half a century,” Kwon Jong Gun, a senior North Korean Foreign Ministry official, said in a statement. DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North’s official name.
“It is certain that the U.S. chief executive made a big blunder in the light of the present-day viewpoint,” Kwon said. “Now that the keynote of the U.S. new DPRK policy has become clear, we will be compelled to press for corresponding measures, and with time the U.S. will find itself in a very grave situation.”
The first missile was launched from the Sunan area of Pyongyang around 6 a.m. local time (21:00 GMT) on Wednesday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea has said.
The second followed 37 minutes later, and the third followed five minutes later.
The first of the three projectiles, according to the military, was a suspected ICBM that traveled 360 kilometers (224 miles) at a maximum height of 540 kilometers (336 miles).
The Inquirer had some scoop:
In response, the United States and South Korea held combined live-fire drills, including surface-to-surface missile tests involving the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) of the U.S. and the South’s Hyunmoo-2 SRBM, both militaries said.
“Our military’s show of force was intended to highlight our resolve to firmly respond to any North Korean provocations, including an ICBM launch, and our overwhelming capability and readiness to conduct a surgical strike on the origin of the provocation,” the JCS said in a statement.
For the first time in nearly five years, North Korea has launched a flurry of missiles this year, ranging from hypersonic weaponry to the first test firing of its largest ICBMs.
It also looks to be planning a nuclear test, which would be its first since 2017.
Sources: Westernjournal, Abcnews, Inquirer