North Korea backs off on threat to attack Guam
Statement seen as step back on Guam strike
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will watch the “reckless Yankees” a while longer before deciding whether to launch ballistic missiles toward the U.S. territory of Guam, Pyongyang’s state media said Tuesday.
Kim was briefed on a plan to fire missiles toward the tiny Pacific island, home to U.S. air and naval bases, during an inspection of the Strategic Force in charge of the North’s missile units, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The North Korean leader examined the plan to “wring the windpipes of the Yankees” but will watch the United States for a while longer before making a decision, the state-run news agency said.
Kim’s conditional tone on Tuesday hinted that friction could ease if the U.S. offered a gesture that Pyongyang sees as a step back from “extremely dangerous reckless actions.”
That could refer to the U.S.-South Korean military drills set to begin Aug. 21, which the North claims are rehearsals for invasion.
The North has always denounced the military drills as provocative and has in the past offered a moratorium on further nuclear and missile testing in exchange for their cancellation — a trade-off promoted by Pyongyang’s main ally, China, but repeatedly rejected by Washington and Seoul.
“This is a direct invitation to talk reciprocal constraints on exercises and missile launches,” said Adam Mount, senior fellow at the Centre for American Progress.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday that he agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump during a telephone call that their priority regarding North Korea was to do what they could to halt its missile launches.
Abe also praised a commitment by Trump that the United States would ensure the security of U.S. allies in the region.
The standoff has sparked global alarm, with world leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping urging calm on both sides.
South Korean President Moon Jae-In weighed in on Tuesday, saying Seoul would avoid a second Korean War at all costs.
“Military action on the Korean Peninsula can only be decided by the Republic of Korea and no one may decide to take military action without the consent of the Republic of Korea,” Moon said.
But he added there could be no dialogue before the North halts its “nuclear and missile provocations.”
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday the Trump administration remains interested in a dialogue with Kim but is waiting for some sign of interest from Pyongyang.