Kim raises the bar on Biden and tests two ballistic missiles
North Koreans are banned from possessing and using these weapons. On March 21, Pyongyang fired two cruise missiles. Washington says the launch confirms the threat posed by the Kim regime and US is reviewing its policy on North Korea. The role of Beijing.
Pyongyang (AsiaNews) - North Korea launched two missiles into the Sea of Japan this morning, most likely ballistic and short-range missiles. The military commands of South Korea, the USA and Japan confirmed the second missile in a few days.
On March 21, Pyongyang fired two cruise missiles or two artillery salvoes off its west coast. The last launch carried out by the Kim Jong-un regime was about a year ago. Tokyo and Seoul condemned the ballistic test which, according to the Pentagon, highlights the threat the North Korean military program poses to the international community.
Analysts believe Kim is testing the Biden administration, which is reviewing national policy towards North Korea. The US president downplayed last Sunday’s launch, with Washington stressing that under United Nations resolutions, North Koreans are prohibited from possessing and using ballistic missiles, not cruise missiles.
North Korea is isolated from the international community (except from China and partly from Russia), and has been subjected to international sanctions for years for its nuclear and missile program. Since the end of 2017, in the context of negotiations with Donald Trump, the then-incumbent US president, Pyongyang has unilaterally decreed a moratorium on nuclear tests and long-range ballistic tests.
The dialogue between Washington and the Kim regime is stalled with North Koreans demanding the United States abandon its aggressive policy for a return to the negotiating table.
Pyongyang started its missile escalation immediately after the closure of a tense summit in Alaska between the US and China. On March 23, Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged messages in which they reaffirmed the "traditional friendship" between their countries. The North Korean leader expressed his hope for stronger "unity and cooperation" with Beijing in the face of the challenges posed by "hostile forces".
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