N. Korea Launches Submarine Missile Days Before Talks with US Restart

 

South Korea’s military says it is “highly likely” that North Korea has tested a missile designed for launch from a submarine. It said the launch appeared to have taken place early Wednesday near the city of Wonsan on the country’s eastern coast.

South Korea says the missile traveled about 450 kilometers and reached a height of about 910 kilometers. David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists said that although the missile did not travel far, it was able to do so.

“This would classify the missile as a medium range (missile),” he said.

It is not clear if North Korea launched the missile from a submarine or an underwater structure.

If confirmed, it could be the first time since 2017 that the North has tested a missile that is able to travel more than a “short” distance.

Japanese officials said Wednesday that the missile landed in the country’s exclusive economic zone. That is the area countries claim that extends about 370 kilometers from their coast.

Kim Dong-yub is a North Korea expert at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. He said the most recent launch most likely carried a double message. Kim said it may have been meant to improve the North’s negotiating position and also to answer South Korea’s announcement of new weapons, including the F-35 stealth fighter from the U.S.

Talks set to begin in days

North Korean and American negotiators are to meet for talks Saturday. They would be the first talks between the countries since their leaders met at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. At that time, President Donald Trump¹ became the first U.S. president to enter North Korea while in office. There, he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to restart working-level talks between their nations.

Last month, Trump said a “new method” to the nuclear talks would be, in his words, “very good.” North Korean officials have called for a “new way of calculation” as the only way forward.

Last month, Trump dismissed National Security Advisor² John Bolton who disagreed with parts of the president’s North Korea diplomacy³.

North Korea has repeatedly said it will not give up its nuclear weapons without anything in return. The country wants to take steps after which the U.S. eases some sanctions and provides security guarantees.

Trump and Kim have met three times since June 2018. During their first meeting, the two agreed to work towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. However, negotiators have not yet agreed on what that means.

Melissa Hanham is an expert with the Open Nuclear Network, a research group based in Colorado. She said that she hoped the talks would permit the negotiators to build ties and “perhaps lead to some actionable leads.” About the negotiations⁴, she added, “Any substantive⁵ working-level talks are good. Diplomacy is like a muscle and it needs exercise.”

I’m Mario Ritter Jr.

Words in This Story

classify –v. to consider something to belong to on group or another

calculation –n. a careful thought or planning with the idea of arriving at a particular result

substantive –adj. meaningful

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

3 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。