Why the North Korean crisis is more dangerous in August

As Pyongyang continues to test missiles in defiance of international sanctions, the annual joint military exercises between the US and South Korea could push the crisis on the Korean peninsula to a new peak.

"The situation is bad now, and it will get worse in August... It will be more dangerous in August," Joel Wit, a senior fellow at the US-Korea Institute who worked on North Korea policy for the US State Department, said in a phone interview with 38 North.

38 North specializes in providing informative analysis of the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guides the test of the Hwasong-14 missile last week. (Photo: KCNA/Reuters)

August is the time when the two allies, the US and South Korea, hold the world's largest military exercise, called Ulchi Freedom Guardian. This event has always faced opposition and threats of retaliation from North Korea.

“It could create more tension,” Mr. Wit commented. “I think we need to be very careful about making the situation worse.” “But there is an opportunity here,” Mr. Wit emphasized.

North Korea has previously offered to halt its nuclear development if the United States and South Korea cancel their annual military exercises. The United States has rejected that offer in the past, arguing that the exercises are legal and North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is illegal.

But with North Korea moving closer to having a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting major US cities, it may be time to reconsider that view, according to Mr. Wit.

“This is really the best time for an American president to do that,” Mr. Wit said of peace talks with North Korea.

According to VNN