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| In this Oct. 3, 2019 photo carried by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency, Pukguksong-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile is launched from a submersible barge. Yonhap |
US envoy for North Korea to visit Seoul this week
By Nam Hyun-woo
North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the East Sea, Tuesday, despite the U.S.'s apparent efforts to entice Pyongyang to return to denuclearization talks by opening up the possibility of discussions to formally end the Korean War.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, at 10:17 a.m. However, Japan's military authorities announced the North launched two missiles.
The National Security Council held an emergency meeting shortly after the JCS announcement and expressed "serious regrets" over the incident, noting that North Korea had launched a missile again "despite the ongoing discussions between South Korea, the U.S., China, Japan, Russia and other neighboring countries on a peace process on the Korean Peninsula."
"The members of the council again stressed the urgency of stabilizing the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and urged North Korea to return to talks," Cheong Wa Dae later said.
The U.S. also criticized the North for the missile launch. "The U.S. military sees North Korea's missile launch on Tuesday as destabilizing, but not an immediate threat to the United States or its allies," the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.
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| People watch a TV screen in Seoul Station, Tuesday, showing a news report about North Korea launching a ballistic missile accompanied by file footage. AP-Yonhap |
The South Korean military did not immediately announce how long the missile flew or where it landed; but it was said to have flown 430 to 450 kilometers at an altitude of 60 kilometers. Reportedly, the military assumes that the North launched the missile from a floating platform or a submergible barge, but has not ruled out the possibility of an actual submarine being used.
"There seem to be two possibilities," said Kim Dong-yup, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.
"First, there is a chance that North Korea launched its Pukguksong-3 SLBM from an actual submarine. The North tested it in October 2019 by launching it from a submersible test barge," Kim said. "The second scenario, which I think is more likely, is the test launch of a Pukguksong-4 or -5 from a test barge. The two missiles were revealed at North Korea's recent military parade. Either way, the North appears to be underscoring its military achievements to cover its economic difficulties stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and sanctions."
The launch came on the heels of ongoing efforts by Washington to open dialog with Pyongyang. In recent weeks, President Joe Biden's administration has been showing a positive reaction to President Moon Jae-in's proposal for a declaration to formally end the Korean War, which he believes will entice the North back to denuclearization talks.
The two Koreas are still technically at war, as the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. Moon suggested in a United Nations speech last month that the two Koreas and the United States, as well as China, declare a formal end to the war.
The North showed a positive reaction to the proposal, but set up preconditions, demanding Seoul stop its weapons development programs and joint military exercises with the U.S. At the same time, the Kim Jong-un regime continued with its missile programs, conducting four missile launches to test different technologies in September alone.
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| U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim speaks after a meeting with South Korea's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk, at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., Monday (local time). AP-Yonhap |
On Monday (local time), Sung Kim, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea, told reporters in Washington, D.C., that he discussed Moon's end-of-war proposal with his South Korean counterpart Noh Kyu-duk, and will visit Seoul later this week for additional discussions.
"Special Representative Noh and I also discussed the end of war proposal, and I look forward to continuing those discussions and other issues of mutual concern when I'm in Seoul later this week," Kim said.
"The U.S. continues to reach out to Pyongyang to restart dialogue. Our intent remains the same. We harbor no hostile intent toward the DPRK and we are open to meeting without preconditions," he said. DPRK is an acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
His remarks were made before the North launched the missile.
A senior Cheong Wa Dae official said there was no plan for Kim to meet with President Moon at the present time.
On Tuesday, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Japan's Cabinet intelligence director Hiroaki Takizawa met South Korea's National Intelligence Service head Park Jie-won in Seoul, Monday. Though the details of their discussion were not made public, they were said to have talked about the declaration to end the war.
However, following North Korea again testing a missile, the outlook for any progress appears gloomy, unless there are tangible enticements.
For talks on a declaration ending the war, the North has called for the South to drop its "hostility" and "double-dealing standards," meaning for Seoul to recognize Pyongyang's missile programs as a "right to test weapons," and to stop its joint military exercises with the U.S.
On Tuesday, Echo of Unification, a North Korea propaganda radio, posted a commentary by North Korea National Unification Institute head Hyon Chol stating, "It will be reasonable for the South to get away from its double-dealing standards and hostility before claiming an end-of-war declaration."
