Seoul: US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman South Korea and Japan met with their counterparts on Wednesday, emphasizing the US’s commitment to defending its allies and trilateral security cooperation to swiftly address the nuclear threat. North Korea,
The latest top level meetings between the countries came as Answer Korea is clearly moving forward with preparations for its first nuclear test detonation in nearly five years, which US officials say could happen in the coming days.
After a meeting in Seoul, Sherman and South Korean and Japanese deputy foreign ministers issued a joint statement condemning North Korea’s provocative behavior in arms demonstrations this year and promising closer security cooperation to deter escalating threats.
The statement said Sherman reaffirmed “firm” US commitments to the defense of South Korea and Japan, including “extended deterrence”, assuring to defend their allies with their full military capabilities, including nuclear has given.
“The United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan are fully and closely aligned on the DPRK”, Sherman said at a news conference, using the initials of North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Sherman noted that since last September, North Korea has significantly increased the speed and scale of its ballistic launches, posing a “serious threat” to security in the region and beyond, and called on Pyongyang to take “these provocative and destabilizing actions”. to stop and commit”. the way of diplomacy”.
In a blow to an old pattern of brinkmanship, North Korea has set an annual record in ballistic launches during the first six months of 2022, firing 31 missiles in 18 test events, including its first demonstrations of intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017. Huh.
Unusually fast pace in testing activity underscores authoritarian leader kim Jong Un’s double intention to build on his arsenal and build pressure Biden Experts say the administration over long-stalled talks aimed at leveraging its nuclear weapons for economic and security concessions.
Sherman’s visit to Asia comes after North Korea launched eight ballistic missiles into the sea from multiple locations on Sunday in its biggest single-day test program, giving the US and its Asian allies tit-for-tat missile launches and aerial attacks. Inspired to respond. Demonstration of dozens of fighter planes.
A nuclear test would further increase North Korea’s pressure campaign and could potentially allow the country to claim that it has threatened South Korea on a multi-war ICBM or on Kim’s wide-ranging small-range weapons. The technology for making a bomb small enough to have been acquired. and Japan.
South Korean and US officials have said the North has completed preparations for an explosion at its nuclear test ground in the far northeastern city of Punggye-ri, an assessment backed by International Atomic Energy which says there are indications The route from one site has been reopened. The site had been dormant since hosting the country’s sixth nuclear test in September 2017, when it claimed to have detonated a thermonuclear bomb designed for its ICBMs.
North Korea will likely pass a trial time to maximize political influence and some analysts say it could be around a major convention of the ruling Workers’ Party that has been scheduled for the first half of June.
North Korea’s state media said on Wednesday that members of the Politburo met a day earlier to discuss the agenda for an upcoming plenary meeting of the party’s central committee, which Kim has called to review key state affairs, Including national efforts to slow the outbreak of COVID-19. Experts say he could also use the meeting to address his nuclear weapons ambitions and external relations with Washington and Seoul.
Cheong Seong-chang, an analyst at South Korea’s Sejong Institute, said Kim’s absence from Tuesday’s preparatory meeting suggests that he may be overseeing preparations for North Korea’s seventh nuclear test and drafting his speeches for the full term. is focused.
The North Korean party’s last plenary meeting in December lasted a record five days and Kim reiterated his pledge to boost his country’s military capabilities and order production of more powerful and sophisticated weapons systems.
Nuclear talks between the US and North Korea have been stalled since 2019 due to disagreements over the easing of US-led sanctions in return for North Korea’s disarmament steps, which underscored Kim’s unwillingness to give an arsenal that he could use to his Sees as the strongest guarantee of survival.
Experts say Kim’s government has so far rejected the Biden administration’s proposals for open-ended talks, and clearly intends to turn passive denuclearization talks into a process of mutual arms reduction.
The latest top level meetings between the countries came as Answer Korea is clearly moving forward with preparations for its first nuclear test detonation in nearly five years, which US officials say could happen in the coming days.
After a meeting in Seoul, Sherman and South Korean and Japanese deputy foreign ministers issued a joint statement condemning North Korea’s provocative behavior in arms demonstrations this year and promising closer security cooperation to deter escalating threats.
The statement said Sherman reaffirmed “firm” US commitments to the defense of South Korea and Japan, including “extended deterrence”, assuring to defend their allies with their full military capabilities, including nuclear has given.
“The United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan are fully and closely aligned on the DPRK”, Sherman said at a news conference, using the initials of North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Sherman noted that since last September, North Korea has significantly increased the speed and scale of its ballistic launches, posing a “serious threat” to security in the region and beyond, and called on Pyongyang to take “these provocative and destabilizing actions”. to stop and commit”. the way of diplomacy”.
In a blow to an old pattern of brinkmanship, North Korea has set an annual record in ballistic launches during the first six months of 2022, firing 31 missiles in 18 test events, including its first demonstrations of intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017. Huh.
Unusually fast pace in testing activity underscores authoritarian leader kim Jong Un’s double intention to build on his arsenal and build pressure Biden Experts say the administration over long-stalled talks aimed at leveraging its nuclear weapons for economic and security concessions.
Sherman’s visit to Asia comes after North Korea launched eight ballistic missiles into the sea from multiple locations on Sunday in its biggest single-day test program, giving the US and its Asian allies tit-for-tat missile launches and aerial attacks. Inspired to respond. Demonstration of dozens of fighter planes.
A nuclear test would further increase North Korea’s pressure campaign and could potentially allow the country to claim that it has threatened South Korea on a multi-war ICBM or on Kim’s wide-ranging small-range weapons. The technology for making a bomb small enough to have been acquired. and Japan.
South Korean and US officials have said the North has completed preparations for an explosion at its nuclear test ground in the far northeastern city of Punggye-ri, an assessment backed by International Atomic Energy which says there are indications The route from one site has been reopened. The site had been dormant since hosting the country’s sixth nuclear test in September 2017, when it claimed to have detonated a thermonuclear bomb designed for its ICBMs.
North Korea will likely pass a trial time to maximize political influence and some analysts say it could be around a major convention of the ruling Workers’ Party that has been scheduled for the first half of June.
North Korea’s state media said on Wednesday that members of the Politburo met a day earlier to discuss the agenda for an upcoming plenary meeting of the party’s central committee, which Kim has called to review key state affairs, Including national efforts to slow the outbreak of COVID-19. Experts say he could also use the meeting to address his nuclear weapons ambitions and external relations with Washington and Seoul.
Cheong Seong-chang, an analyst at South Korea’s Sejong Institute, said Kim’s absence from Tuesday’s preparatory meeting suggests that he may be overseeing preparations for North Korea’s seventh nuclear test and drafting his speeches for the full term. is focused.
The North Korean party’s last plenary meeting in December lasted a record five days and Kim reiterated his pledge to boost his country’s military capabilities and order production of more powerful and sophisticated weapons systems.
Nuclear talks between the US and North Korea have been stalled since 2019 due to disagreements over the easing of US-led sanctions in return for North Korea’s disarmament steps, which underscored Kim’s unwillingness to give an arsenal that he could use to his Sees as the strongest guarantee of survival.
Experts say Kim’s government has so far rejected the Biden administration’s proposals for open-ended talks, and clearly intends to turn passive denuclearization talks into a process of mutual arms reduction.