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Provocation overshadows 'friendly' letter to President Moon
North Korea launched what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, Sunday, about a week after it fired two missiles believed to be its version of the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), March 21.
This time, the two missiles were fired from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan at 6:10 a.m. within a 20-second interval and flew 230 kilometers at a maximum altitude of around 30 kilometers, according to the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff. This was the North's fourth major weapons test this year.
It is deplorable that North Korea is raising military tensions at a time when South Korea and the rest of the world are struggling to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Such provocations at this time are not justifiable at all, and will only alienate Pyongyang further.
North Korea has not yet reported a COVID-19 infection, but there been reports that the virus is already spreading there, particularly among soldiers. It is notable that the North is more vulnerable to the new virus as it lacks medical supplies and infrastructure to test and treat infected people. The continued provocations surely bode ill for possible inter-Korean cooperation in the future.
The latest provocation is more awful because it came only two days after the South marked the 10th anniversary of the North's torpedo attack on the South Korean warship Cheonan, which killed 46 sailors. During a ceremony, Friday, South Korea President Moon Jae-in vowed unwavering efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, offering assistance in the fight against the new coronavirus. But Pyongyang has not responded, according to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Cheong Wa Dae recently unveiled that Kim had sent a letter to Moon to console South Koreans fighting the virus and "wish for their good health."
But the continued provocations by the North raise doubts over the sincerity of the letter, and the seriousness of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's commitment to inter-Korean reconciliation.
