The US is considering launching attacks on several locations in North Korea.

The Wall Street Journal reported that US officials are considering the possibility of conducting a limited strike against various locations in North Korea, without triggering a full-scale war on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea parades intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). Photo: Reuters

The article explained that the goal was to conduct a limited attack that would give North Korea a “bloody nose,” without provoking Pyongyang to react too strongly, a move that could spark an all-out war.

The article stressed: “US officials are discussing whether it is possible to launch a limited military strike against North Korean sites without provoking an all-out war on the Korean Peninsula. The hope is to do so without provoking a strong North Korean retaliation. However, this is an extremely risky idea and there is currently a debate among officials in the US President Donald Trump's administration about whether it is feasible.”

The article also acknowledged that North Korea could choose to “escalate its retaliatory actions to carry out a single attack.” North Korea has a series of artillery tubes aimed at the Demilitarized Zone in the South Korean capital Seoul, which could inflict thousands of casualties in just minutes if it chose to respond strongly./.