Two mid-range ballistic missiles were launched Friday by North Korea in a test of a new missile system, South Korea’s military and presidential office reported, according to Fox News.
The move may have been intended to increase pressure on both Seoul and Washington to revive stalled negotiations following a meeting between North Korean President Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in the demilitarized zone on June 30. But aggressive tactics like this might just end up destroying North Korea’s fragile diplomatic relationship with the U.S.
In addition to brinksmanship, the launches also signal a frustration with planned U.S.-South Korea military exercises set for this month. Experts told Fox News that launches could become even more frequent if nuclear talks don’t make progress soon.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launches took place at 2:59 a.m. and 3:23 a.m. from an eastern coastal area. The missiles traveled 137 miles on an apogee of 15 miles and at a max speed of Mach 6.9.
Kim Eun-han, a spokesman for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, expressed “deep regret” on behalf of the Seoul government. Eun-han believes the launches could damage peace efforts that have been ongoing on the Korean Peninsula.
Trump’s Response
Trump’s official response to other recent launches has been low-key. He called previous similar launches “very standard” and said he wasn’t worried about them.
Japan expressed similar sentiments, noting that the missiles fell short of both Japanese territorial waters and its exclusive economic zone. But the launches did create concern in Europe, as several countries joined together to encourage North Korea to follow through on talks with the U.S.
The U.K., France, and Germany said that North Korea’s recent launches violated UN sanctions. The countries jointly urged North Korea “to take concrete steps toward its complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization” and said that sanctions would remain in place until that happened.
The missiles could easily reach the Seoul area, where more than half of South Koreans live. In addition to the military drills with the U.S., North Korea has also warned the South after Seoul’s purchase of high-tech, U.S.-made fighter jets for its arsenal.
Overcoming Fears
While trying to work toward peace and possible reunification of the Korean peninsula, both countries have also expressed reservations about letting their guard down prematurely. Suspicion of reunification and economic cooperation remains high even as both sides pursue it cautiously.
The U.S. has worked to improve its relationship with the North, reaching out to Kim Jong Un repeatedly while maintaining that denuclearization would need to take place. Continuing missile launches could be bad news for U.S.-North Korea relations going forward if they are seen as provocations rather than defensive measures.
While Kim may be reasonably sure that Trump isn’t looking to attack his country or force it to rejoin with the South before it’s ready, he may be worried that other world leaders will see cooperation as weakness. North Korea may also be seeking relief of sanctions, although Trump is unlikely to do so in response to launches.
Kim may also be getting pressure from other allies not to cooperate with the U.S. too much, although North Korea’s biggest ally, China, has condemned the launches.
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