First to Blink: Kim Jong-un Holds Off Missile Attack on Guam
"After being briefed by the military about plans for missile launches, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he would watch the conduct of the US a little more before deciding whether to order the firings," Pyongyang’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported
Dan Arkin
| 15/08/2017
https://youtu.be/JSarqlXtJaE
Tensions between the US and North Korea showed signs of winding down, with Pyongyang backing off from its threat to fire missiles toward the US territory of Guam, according to a report by The Korea Herald.
After being briefed by the military about plans for missile launches, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he would watch the conduct of the US “a little more” before deciding whether to order the firings, Pyongyang’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Tuesday.
"The United States, which was the first to bring numerous strategic nuclear equipment near us, should first make the right decision and show through actions if they wish to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and prevent a dangerous military clash," Kim was cited as saying by the KCNA.
He further threatened that "If the Yankees persist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions on the Korean Peninsula and in its vicinity, testing the self-restraint of (North Korea), the latter will make an important decision as it already declared," according to the report.
Seoul sees these comments as an indication that the North might hold off its plan to conduct "enveloping strikes" toward Gaum by firing four intermediate range ballistic missiles around the waters near the island.
On Monday, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned the North Koreans and said it would be "game on" for war if they fired missiles that hit US territories. President Donald Trump on Tuesday held a telephone call with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and agreed that the allies’ priority is how to halt North Korea’s missile launches.
“Through a firm partnership between Japan and the US and cooperating with China, Russia and the international community, we agreed that our priority was to work to ensure that North Korea doesn‘t launch more missiles,” Abe told reporters after he spoke to Trump.
Meanwhile, the speculation that Washington and Pyongyang would engage in dialogue to resolve the standoff continues to emerge. Through a clandestine diplomatic avenue, dubbed “New York Channel,” North Korea and the US have reportedly been engaging in a series of diplomatic talks. According to the Associated Press, US State Department official Joseph Yun and Pak Song-il, a top North Korean official at the United Nations, have been using the channel regularly since President Trump’s inauguration.
[Source: The Korea Herald]
"After being briefed by the military about plans for missile launches, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he would watch the conduct of the US a little more before deciding whether to order the firings," Pyongyang’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported
https://youtu.be/JSarqlXtJaE
Tensions between the US and North Korea showed signs of winding down, with Pyongyang backing off from its threat to fire missiles toward the US territory of Guam, according to a report by The Korea Herald.
After being briefed by the military about plans for missile launches, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he would watch the conduct of the US “a little more” before deciding whether to order the firings, Pyongyang’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Tuesday.
"The United States, which was the first to bring numerous strategic nuclear equipment near us, should first make the right decision and show through actions if they wish to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and prevent a dangerous military clash," Kim was cited as saying by the KCNA.
He further threatened that "If the Yankees persist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions on the Korean Peninsula and in its vicinity, testing the self-restraint of (North Korea), the latter will make an important decision as it already declared," according to the report.
Seoul sees these comments as an indication that the North might hold off its plan to conduct "enveloping strikes" toward Gaum by firing four intermediate range ballistic missiles around the waters near the island.
On Monday, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned the North Koreans and said it would be "game on" for war if they fired missiles that hit US territories. President Donald Trump on Tuesday held a telephone call with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and agreed that the allies’ priority is how to halt North Korea’s missile launches.
“Through a firm partnership between Japan and the US and cooperating with China, Russia and the international community, we agreed that our priority was to work to ensure that North Korea doesn‘t launch more missiles,” Abe told reporters after he spoke to Trump.
Meanwhile, the speculation that Washington and Pyongyang would engage in dialogue to resolve the standoff continues to emerge. Through a clandestine diplomatic avenue, dubbed “New York Channel,” North Korea and the US have reportedly been engaging in a series of diplomatic talks. According to the Associated Press, US State Department official Joseph Yun and Pak Song-il, a top North Korean official at the United Nations, have been using the channel regularly since President Trump’s inauguration.
[Source: The Korea Herald]
