North Korea has fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, adding fresh tension to the Korean Peninsula just days after US President Donald Trump signalled that he wants to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again this year. South Korea’s military said the missiles were launched from the Pyongyang area towards North Korea’s eastern waters on Thursday.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. South Korea has increased surveillance and is coordinating with the United States and Japan following the launches. But the timing is what makes this development important.
Kim Is Showing That Diplomacy Does Not Mean Disarmament
Trump has been trying to reopen the door to direct talks with Kim, even saying he expects to meet the North Korean leader later this year. Trump also recently ordered the Pentagon to reduce US military exercises with South Korea, describing his relationship with Kim as positive and arguing that the drills are too costly and unnecessarily provocative.
North Korea, however, has not responded with a similar reduction in military activity. Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, dismissed the reduction in US-South Korean drills as an inadequate gesture, while still describing the personal relationship between Trump and Kim as “excellent”.
The missile launches reinforce that distinction. North Korea may be willing to talk to Trump without being willing to stop building and testing its weapons.
The Trump-Kim Relationship Is Not Enough
The launches also challenge the idea that personal diplomacy between Trump and Kim can automatically reduce tensions.
Trump has repeatedly pointed to his relationship with Kim as a reason for optimism. But North Korea’s actions suggest that Pyongyang is comfortable maintaining its military pressure while leaving the door open to negotiations.
That gives Kim considerable leverage. North Korea has strengthened its military relationship with Russia and expanded its nuclear and missile capabilities. US and South Korean officials are increasingly dealing with a North Korea that is more confident in its position than it was during the 2018 and 2019 Trump-Kim summits.
South Korea Has More Reason to Be Nervous
The missile launches come at a particularly sensitive moment for Seoul.
Trump’s decision to scale back military exercises has already raised concerns in South Korea about the strength of its security relationship with Washington. The exercises are designed to prepare the two allies for a potential North Korean attack, so reducing them while Pyongyang continues testing missiles creates an uncomfortable situation for Seoul.
South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung has been pushing for greater diplomatic engagement with North Korea, but these developments show how difficult that will be while Pyongyang continues to strengthen its weapons programme.
What Happens Next?
The immediate concern is not that these short-range missiles will trigger a war. North Korea has carried out similar tests before. The bigger concern is what happens if missile tests become part of a wider bargaining strategy.
Kim may be signalling that he is willing to sit down with Trump, but he wants to do so from a position of strength. If Washington wants another summit, the difficult question will be whether Trump can persuade Kim to discuss nuclear weapons without giving North Korea more concessions in return.
