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North Korea accuses Biden of ‘provocation’ after missile test
SEOUL, March 27, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – North Korea threatened a further
military build-up on Saturday in response to Joe Biden’s condemnation
of this week’s missile launches, a weapons test that marked
Pyongyang’s first substantive provocation since the US president took
office.
The nuclear-armed North has a long history of using weapons tests to
ramp up tensions, in a carefully calibrated process to try to forward
its objectives.
Pyongyang had been biding its time since the new administration took
office in Washington, not even officially acknowledging its existence
until last week.
But on Thursday it launched two weapons from its east coast into the
Sea of Japan, known as the East Sea in Korea.
Following the launch, Biden labelled the test a violation of UN
resolutions and advised the isolated state against ramping up military
testing, warning that “there will be responses if they choose to
escalate.”
Ri Pyong Chol, a leading official in North Korea’s missile programme
who supervised the test, said the president’s comments had revealed
his “deep-seated hostility” to the regime.
“Such remarks from the US president are an undisguised encroachment
on our state’s right to self-defence and provocation to it,” Ri said
in a statement published by state media outlet KCNA.
Ri said Pyongyang was expressing its “deep apprehension over the US
chief executive faulting the regular testfire, (an) exercise of our
state’s right to self-defence, as the violation of UN ‘resolutions.'”
“If the US continues with its thoughtless remarks without thinking
of the consequences, it may be faced with something that is not good,”
he added, warning that North Korea was prepared to “continue to
increase our most thoroughgoing and overwhelming military power.”
The comments came at a time when Washington is in the final stages
of a policy review on North Korea, with signals of a firm line on
denuclearisation, sanctions and human rights.
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Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said Ri’s
remarks were “essentially a threat that North Korea will respond to
the US policy review with more tests”.
“Pyongyang is implementing a premeditated strategy of advancing
military capabilities and raising tensions,” he added.
– ‘Tactical guided projectile’ –
Pyongyang has made rapid progress in its capabilities under leader
Kim Jong Un, testing missiles capable of reaching the entire
continental United States as tensions mounted in 2017.
North Korea has reported that the Thursday launch, its first
substantive affront since Biden came to office, was a test of a new
“tactical guided projectile” with a solid-fuel engine.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called the two weapons
launched from North Korea’s east coast ballistic missiles, which it is
banned from developing under UN Security Council resolutions.
A UN sanctions committee focused on nuclear-armed North Korea has
asked its experts to investigate the test and European members of the
Security Council have requested an urgent meeting to discuss North
Korea.
The North is already under multiple sets of international sanctions
for its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.
A summit between Kim and then-US president Donald Trump in Hanoi in
February 2019 broke down over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang
would be willing to give up in return.
Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for North Korean Studies
at the Sejong Institute in Seoul, told AFP that the Biden
administration may seek to impose “additional sanctions against
Pyongyang” if the North continues with its military provocations.
“From now, one can expect more weapons tests from the North, and
very stern responses from the US,” he said.
– International resolve –
Thursday’s launch, and an earlier test of short-range, non-ballistic
missiles at the weekend, came after joint exercises by the US and
South Korean militaries and a visit to the region by US Secretary of
State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
During their trip to Seoul and Tokyo, Blinken repeatedly stressed
the importance of denuclearising North Korea, and urged Beijing — the
North’s key ally — to convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear
weapons.
Biden’s approach so far demonstrates a change of tone from his
predecessor Donald Trump, who engaged in an extraordinary diplomatic
bromance with Kim and last year repeatedly played down similar
short-range launches.
Officials of the administration say they have sought to reach out to
Pyongyang through several channels but have received no response so
far.
“Kim Jong Un intends to use provocations to demand concessions but
may end up increasing international resolve for North Korea’s
denuclearisation,” Easley told AFP.
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