She reiterated her country’s opposition to the joint military exercises – which North Korea describes as preparations for invasion – saying: “The South Korean government yet again chose the ‘March of War’, the ‘March of Crisis’.”

Donald Trump’s high-profile meetings with Kim Jong-un failed to break the diplomatic deadlock – Getty Images

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Many of us in Seoul have been expecting this. North Korea usually reacts when South Korea and the US carry out joint military exercises. Sometimes that is in the form of a missile test. On other occasions, such as this one, it responds to the so-called “war games” with a string of angry words.

Kim Yo-jong has been her brother’s favoured attack dog for a while and this statement is no exception. She aims at two targets in her remarks: the joint drills and the visit to Seoul by US secretary of state and the defence chief.

It at least lets Washington and Seoul know Pyongyang is watching and listening, despite not responding to the recent back-channel attempts by the White House.

Kim Yo-jong didn’t elaborate on exactly what North Korea would do if it didn’t like what it heard during these meetings. But she is saying – you have been warned.

North Korea’s nuclear ambitions are expected to be high on the agenda during this week’s visits to South Korea and Japan by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Mr Biden has already announced a policy review on North Korea, which is expected to be unveiled next month.

During the election campaign he called Mr Kim “a thug” and said North Korean nuclear disarmament had to happen before US and UN economic sanctions could be relaxed.

Relations between the US and North Korea plummeted in 2017, when the North tested long-range missiles capable of hitting American cities.

Tensions eased as President Donald Trump sought to develop a personal rapport with Mr Kim.

But much-trumpeted meetings – including summits in Singapore and Vietnam – failed to break the impasse over nuclear disarmament and sanctions.

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Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56410625

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Despite a possible coronavirus outbreak in North Korea, the country has fired missiles off its east coast from the ground as well as fighter jets on Tuesday, according to South Korea’s military.

The back-to-back launches were reportedly fired as a show of force on the eve of North Korea’s late founder, Kim Il Sung’s 108th birthday, the grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un and parliamentary elections in the South.

During the first barrage, North Korean troops in Munchonto fired what were presumed to be cruise missiles, according to a statement by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. They flew roughly 93 miles off the coast, per a South Korean defense official.

North Korea has carried out short-range missile and weapons tests in recent weeks amid stalled nuclear talks with the U.S. Most of the weapons tested, however, were ballistic missiles or long-range artillery shells.

People watch a TV screen airing reports about North Korea’s firing missiles with file images of missiles at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. South Korea says North Korean fighter jets have fired missiles off the North’s east coast. \(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

The use of that type of projectile is unusual considering the country reportedly possesses just two known cruise missiles purposed for anti-ship operations, according to the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance.

If confirmed, it would be the North’s first cruise missile launch since June 2017, per the defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Later on Tuesday, North Korea launched fighter jets which fired an unspecified number of air-to-surface missiles towards the same waters, the official added. Military drills had previously been scaled back in the North due to the coronavirus outbreak.

A test of a missile capable of reaching the U.S. homeland would end North Korea’s self-imposed moratorium on major weapons tests and likely completely derail nuclear diplomacy with the United States.

A photo distributed on Aug. 30, 2017, by the North Korean government shows what was said to be the test launch of a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

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