South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed Thursday that North Korea fired approximately ten short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, with the launches happening within hours of President Trump announcing that he would like to hold a new summit with Kim Jong Un. The missiles traveled approximately 300 kilometers before splashing down in the East Sea. The launches were also tracked by the coast guard of Japan, who issued advisories to all of the maritime traffic in the region as a result. In other words, it was a strategically timed missile launch by North Korea.
Trump also announced that he would be scaling back the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) annual military exercises with South Korea, calling the drills “totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea. He reaffirmed his “very good relationship” with Kim Jong Un, said he expected to hold another summit with Kim before the end of the year, and estimated that North Korea possesses 57 nuclear warheads.
However, this figure was disputed by the South Korean defense ministry, which put the number of warheads at North Korea’s disposal at between 80 and 120. In response to Trump’s praise for Kim, Kim Yo Jong said her brother had good memories of the American President, and that he held his relationship with Trump in high esteem. “We have good memories of President Trump, and we hope to reestablish the excellent relationship between President Trump and us,” she said. However, there was no word of a return to formal talks between the two sides, and it is clear that Pyongyang is using the launch to reiterate its ability to conduct tests at will.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi meanwhile urged the South Koreans to stay out of the rivalry between the US and China for influence over policy on the Korean Peninsula.
smooching up to ole butterball eh?
gonna get him to send some nukes to iran to fix a common 'problem' a few countries have with someone.
thats the thing, Trump is swearing they'll never build a nuke in iran, but there are so many places they could so easily get one it's all just insane. Russia - troops for a small tacnuc is feasable. Nork-Troops and a nuke, plus lil kimmy gets to say SEE that was one of mine, I DO know how to do them!! All this should have been taken care of 45 years ago.
Absolutely. Trump really screwed the pooch RE: Iran. Guess he thought that like Venezuela, he needed only to take out the top guy, and throw money at his successor, who has become our new best friend. Iran doesn't want our money or friendship-they want to chop off all of our heads because we don't worshio their false god...
Just so I have this right;
Iran = Bad
North Korea =Good. Got it.
Thanks POTUS