"New weapons": North Korea conducted missile tests under the leadership of Kim Jong-un

North Korea has successfully tested new weapons under the leadership of Republican leader Kim Jong-un. This was reported by the TsTAK news agency.

It is clarified that on the eve of launches, the developers submitted a report on the completion of work to the central committee of the ruling DPRK Labor Party, after which Kim Jong-un personally ordered the tests to be carried out.

According to the North Korean leader, the new weapon was developed in accordance with local conditions and the requirements of the "Juche method of warfare" and is a system that has "excellent" tactical properties.

It is not specified what kind of weapon was tested, however, missiles are mentioned in the text of the TsTAK message. According to the South Korean military, Pyongyang could test a new type of short-range ballistic missiles. This was reported with reference to representatives of the joint committee of chiefs of staff of the Republic of Korea by the Ronhap agency.

“Launches made may be a demonstration of strength in response to joint US-South Korean exercises starting tomorrow,” the military said.

Earlier in Seoul, they stated that they had tracked the fifth launch of "unidentified shells" from the territory of the DPRK in the last two weeks. According to rough estimates, the flight range of the missiles was about 400 km, and the height was 48 km.

Washington also drew attention to the DPRK missile launches. About this with reference to a senior source in the White House reports RIA Novosti. According to the interlocutor of the news agency, the American side is in "close consultations" with Tokyo and Seoul.

Speaking about Pyongyang’s motivation to conduct new missile tests, experts recall that negotiations with Washington so far have not led to the lifting of at least part of the sanctions previously imposed against the DPRK.

“This means that Pyongyang’s efforts are not justified. In addition, it is possible that the DPRK now has a technological need for such tests: missile development has reached the final stage, ”said Irina Lantsova, Associate Professor of St. Petersburg State University in a commentary on RT.

Letter exchange

Despite the fact that it is the United States that traditionally acts as the main antagonist of the DPRK, this time there was no sharp reaction from the White House to the Pyongyang missile launches. In turn, the European Union accused the authorities of North Korea of ​​continuing to "undermine international work to build confidence and establish lasting peace and security on the Korean peninsula." The corresponding statement was made by the European Foreign Service.

On the eve of the new missile tests, Kim Jong-un sent another letter to Donald Trump. The head of the White House wrote about this on Twitter.

“In the letter that Kim Jong-un sent me, he said very kindly that he would like to meet and start negotiations as soon as the joint exercises of the USA and South Korea are completed,” Trump said.

• Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un
• Reuters
• © Kevin Lamarque

In addition, according to Trump, the North Korean leader made a “small apology” for the recent missile launches and promised to complete them after the joint exercises of the United States and South Korea.

“I look forward to seeing you soon with Kim Jong-un! Without nuclear weapons, North Korea will become one of the most successful countries in the world! ”Said the US President.

Recall that after the meeting held in the summer of 2018 in Singapore, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un often exchange letters. So, on June 12, the head of the White House spoke about receiving a "very good letter" from the North Korean leader.

“It was unexpected. Maybe someday you will read it. A very warm letter, ”Trump told reporters, without specifying what exactly was discussed.

In turn, the head of the White House also sends letters addressed to Kim Jong-un - earlier spokeswoman for the presidential administration Sarah Sanders said that correspondence is ongoing.

At a press conference on August 7, State Department head Mike Pompeo said Washington hopes to return to talks with Pyongyang over the next two weeks.

"The strategy of President Trump and his administration on the issue of North Korea has not changed," said the head of the US foreign department.

As for the missile tests, which the DPRK authorities have been actively conducting recently, they do not seem to embarrass the American leadership. As Donald Trump said in early August, North Korea’s missile launches do not violate the agreements reached at the Singapore summit.

“We never discussed short-range missiles. I do not have problems. We’ll see what happens, but these short-range missiles, they are standard, ”Trump said.

The American leader made a similar statement in May, commenting on the DPRK missile launches. Then the politician noted that he did not regard these steps of Pyongyang as an abuse of trust.

“A completely different attitude”

It is worth noting that this approach is markedly different from the policy that the White House pursues in relation to its other long-standing geopolitical adversary - Iran. US authorities are demanding that Tehran completely curtail its missile program. In the fall of 2017, Heather Nauert, who headed the State Department’s press service at that time, said that Iran should not only limit the range of ballistic missiles, but completely stop developing in this area. As Nauerth then emphasized, Washington is concerned that US regional allies may be within range of Iranian missiles.

According to experts, the missile tests carried out by Iran invariably provoke a sharp reaction from the United States, while the American administration is looking through the fingers at the DPRK missile program today.

“Trump shows a completely different attitude towards North Korea, Syria and Iran,” political analyst Alexander Asafov explained in an interview with RT. - At the same time, the DPRK has nuclear weapons, while Iran is only suspected of plans to resume the nuclear program. But the DPRK’s neighbors are not eager to “protect” with the same enthusiasm as Iran’s neighbors. ”

According to him, the difference in approaches is explained by the fact that the DPRK’s neighbors are Japan and South Korea, which American politicians historically perceive as "vassals." For example, Japan has been under direct American control for many years.

“Israel is a different matter, an adversary of Iran, which is an ally for Washington, especially with the pro-Israeli positioning that the current administration of the White House shows,” Asafov emphasized.

However, Washington does not refuse to hold military exercises on the Korean Peninsula together with the army of South Korea, although such maneuvers are traditionally one of the main annoying factors for Pyongyang.

On August 11, the second phase of the joint headquarters exercises of South Korea and the United States, aimed at preparing for a possible full-scale war in the region, starts on the peninsula. It is worth noting that earlier similar allied maneuvers invariably led to an aggravation of the situation on the peninsula and retaliatory statements and steps by Pyongyang.

Election Expectations

According to experts, now both Washington and Pyongyang show restraint in their statements, trying to maintain the trend towards dialogue that has been outlined between the countries last year.

“For a while, Washington and Pyongyang will balance in such an intermediate state, while maintaining a desire for peace. But, with a high degree of probability, in the end this period will soon end, and the situation will again enter the confrontational stage, as has happened more than once in the history of relations between the DPRK and the USA, ”Irina Lantsova said.

However, both Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un are interested in maintaining communication, experts say.

“Trump made a big bet on the process of normalizing relations with the DPRK. Negotiations with Kim Jong-un became, in fact, Trump's only real success in the foreign policy field. Accordingly, he is trying to play this card to the end, although it is already clear that a new round of crisis is just around the corner, ”added Lantsova.

• North Korean ballistic missile tests
• Reuters
• © KCNA

A similar point of view is shared by Alexander Asafov. According to him, the settlement of the North Korean problem is one of the main elements of Trump’s election program in the framework of the upcoming presidential campaign.

“He seeks to show that he brought peace to the Korean peninsula. This is part of his election program, ”Asafov said in an interview with RT.

In his opinion, the current alignment to some extent may be beneficial for Kim Jong-un.

“The dialogue with Washington, though not always effective, partly contributed to the fact that North Korea has ceased to be perceived in the world as a country that can be wiped off the face of the earth with the touch of a button, as Trump had threatened before,” the expert summed up.