Is North Korea igniting a confrontation with the US?

(Baonghean) - After a long period of silence, on the morning of November 29, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea once again stirred up the international community with a successful test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the entire US territory.

This move not only worries many countries but also throws cold water on US President Donald Trump's recent efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

Serious threat

Recently, world public opinion has been speculating about the reasons why the DPRK has been “silent” for more than 2 months, since September 15. There is even information that US officials are confused and do not understand why Pyongyang has made such unusual moves.

Various reasons have been given: the North Korean military is undergoing winter training, the country is short of fuel. Some commentators say that North Korea may have completed testing of various parts of the missile. In addition, some experts say that Pyongyang seems to be under pressure from China or the United States.

North Korea test-fired a Hwasong-12 medium-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile on May 15. Source: Kyodo

However, the latest missile launch, considered the most powerful ever by Pyongyang, has dispelled all the speculations of the past few days. With an altitude of 4,475 km, a flight distance of nearly 1,000 km and a flight time of 53 minutes, the Hwasong 15 missile has proven that North Korea's ballistic missile development roadmap is continuing to be successfully deployed.

North Korean media said the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that the country just launched is capable of “covering the entire US mainland”. Leader Kim Jong-un did not hesitate to affirm that North Korea “has accomplished the great historic mission of perfecting the national nuclear force”.

Military experts also said that if the Hwasong 15 missile flew on a standard trajectory instead of the current “circle”, it could have a range of more than 13,000 km. South Korean President Moon Jae-in himself admitted that North Korea’s missile technology has improved.

Immediately, Mr. Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump emphasized in a phone call that North Korea's latest ballistic missile test launch is posing a serious global threat.

Message of “Unyielding”

North Korea's successful missile test launch is also a clear message to countries that are putting pressure on the country such as China, Japan, South Korea and especially the US.

Recently, US President Donald Trump officially put North Korea back on the list of countries sponsoring terrorism to pave the way for new sanctions against Pyongyang.

In 1998, the DPRK was placed on this list by the US government, but by 2008, it was removed from the blacklist of terrorism sponsors by former President George Bush. On November 21, the US also announced new sanctions against 1 individual, 13 companies and 20 vessels for engaging in commercial activities with North Korea.

North Korea's "retaliation" is a heavy blow to the North Korea policy that President Donald Trump has been quite optimistic about recently.

South Korean television reports on North Korea's missile launch on November 29, 2017. Source: Sky News

Looking back at the recent trip to Asia with 3 stops in Northeast Asia by the US President, public opinion has seen a diverse approach of Mr. Donald Trump on the North Korea issue. That is, he is still ready to sit at the negotiating table with Pyongyang; but at the same time, he still firmly declared his readiness to take military measures if this country makes provocative moves.

However, it seems that even with the new approach, the US President's North Korea policy has not been effective. During President Donald Trump's tour of Asia, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un affirmed that his country will never participate in any negotiations with the US or other countries to discuss the nuclear weapons solution.

And the latest launch is an affirmation that North Korea will never give up its intention to develop nuclear and ballistic missile programs. And that, as long as Pyongyang's national strategic goals are not achieved, no country, including the United States, can stop it.

Faced with North Korea's tough stance, of course, on the other hand, US President Donald Trump has hinted that he will "deal with" Pyongyang's move. US Vice President Mike Pence later warned that North Korea should not test America's patience and that "all options" are always on the table.

However, everyone understands that igniting a military confrontation would be a disaster not only for the two countries but also for the region and the world. Therefore, observers believe that the US President's statement "will handle it" will probably still stop at threats and sanctions. However, with an unpredictable individual like President Donald Trump, there are still opinions that it is impossible to know what will happen!

Khang Duy