North Korea’s sixth and most powerful nuclear test, reportedly a hydrogen bomb, has sent the international community into a defensive posture. While the tensions with the dictatorship are once again at a high, the response from the United States and President Donald Trump has added another layer of stress by partially blaming South Korea, threatening trade with China, and the looming threat of a military response. Secretary of Defense James Mattis helped fuel the idea of a military response with his short statement on The White House lawn and now reports from South Korea have indicated that the DPRK could already be mounting another missile test or possibly a second nuclear test.
According to The New York Times, the South Korean military has observed preparations by the north for a new ballistic missile test and may even be prepared for a seventh nuclear test according to separate reports. This has prompted a stern warning from China according to The Washington Post, telling North Korea that any test would be U.N. resolutions and could worsen tensions. Officials from the U.N. are also investigating a second seismic tremor that followed Sunday’s nuclear test to make sure it was not a second nuclear test.
In response to the test and possible missile test, South Korea carried out live military drills and escalated talks with the United States according to The New York Times:
The South Korean military carried out drills Monday in response to the test, with F-15K fighter jets and ground forces firing missiles in a simulated attack on the North’s nuclear site.
The South Korean defense minister, Song Young-moo, also said Monday that in recent talks he had asked the United States to deploy strategic assets including an aircraft carrier group and bombers, according to Yonhap, the South Korean news agency.
It was not immediately clear what sort of missile North Korea was preparing for a possible test. It first tested its new Hwasong-14 missile on July 4 and again on July 28. The second test showed the missile had a range of about 6,500 miles, which would put the western and central United States within range.
As for China, the nation is said to be weighing options on how to respond to the DPRK according to The Guardian. While the Chinese are reportedly “pissed” at North Korea, their options for response all lean towards the drastic, involving a cut in trade and even a cessation in the supply of crude oil. Any move would be risky for the Chinese given their past concerns about creating a refugee crisis following the end of the Kim regime or the collapse of the North Korean economy.
At the same time, China also had a response to Trump’s threats to stop trade with “any country doing business with North Korea,” a tweet that many took as a clear shot at China. While the idea of ending all trade with China seems to be disastrous, most are calling it an empty threat for that very reason. According to ABC News, China views Trump’s threat as “unfair”:
“What is definitely unacceptable to us is that on the one hand we work so hard to peacefully resolve this issue and on the other hand our interests are subject to sanctions and jeopardized,”
The stance from the United States is firm that “many options” are on the table, but no details have been provided past that. A possible reason, alluded to by Kellyanne Conway during an appearance on Fox News, is that The White House wants to avoid broadcasted its plans to North Korea ahead of time — echoing the presidents comments on the increase of troops to Afghanistan.
All of this comes as the president continues to issue troubling statements via social media and impromptu public appearances, the type that have some concerned he could be doing more harm than good. Retired Gen. Michael Hayden appeared on CNN’s New Day on Monday to talk this point of view, saying Trump’s “imprecise” comments could create danger:
“A very tough, but a very precise statement,” Hayden told CNN’s “New Day,” referring to the statement Secretary of Defense James Mattis made on Sunday after North Korea said that it successfully tested a miniaturized hydrogen bomb that can be placed on an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
“Which is a little bit different than some of the things the president has been allowing himself to say, Alisyn, which have been very tough, but very imprecise, and that could lead to great danger,”
The U.N. security council is holding an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the response to the North Korean nuclear test according to The Washington Post. At the meeting, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley responded to the situation by saying, “We have kicked the can down the road long enough. There is no more road left.”
Nikki Haley on North Korea: “We have kicked the can down the road long enough. There is no more road left.” https://t.co/t7YxAvM3zH
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 4, 2017
(Via New York Times / Washington Post / CNN / ABC News / The Hill / The Guardian)