South Korea fears further missile advances by North this year in threat to U.S

By Hyonhee Shin

 

A flag is pictured outside the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva, Switzerland, November 17, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea may conduct additional missile tests this year to polish up its long-range missile technology and ramp up the threat against the United States, South Korea's spy agency said on Monday, adding that it was monitoring developments closely.

 

North Korea is pursuing nuclear weapons and missile programmes in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions and has made no secret of its plans to develop a missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. It has fired two missiles over Japan.

 

The reclusive state appears to have carried out a recent missile engine test while brisk movements of vehicles were spotted near known missile facilities, Yi Wan-young, a member of South Korea’s parliamentary intelligence committee which was briefed by Seoul's National Intelligence Service, said.

 

No sign of an imminent nuclear test had been detected, Yi noted. The third tunnel at the Punggye-ri complex remained ready for another detonation “at any time”, while construction had recently resumed at a fourth tunnel, making it out of use for the time being.

 

"The agency is closely following the developments because there is a possibility that North Korea could fire an array of ballistic missiles this year under the name of a satellite launch and peaceful development of space, but in fact to ratchet up its threats against the United States," the lawmakers told reporters after a closed-door briefing by the spy agency.

 

North Korea defends its weapons programmes as a necessary defence against U.S. plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean war, denies any such intention.

 

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Christine Kim; Editing by Nick Macfie)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-11-20

Both of the cowboys on the opposites sides should get together, face to face and plainly each measure their willy...and that would solve all the  quibbling...really !

 

On a more serious note, obviously none of the respective envoys can reach an agreement. Could be time either for the USA or for N. Korea to bring in a neutral country (like Switzerland as cited in the OP photo), to carry on the negotiations.

 

Here's a semi-related piece giving another angle:

 

The Likely Reason North Korea Has Stopped Its Ballistic Missile Tests -- For Now

https://www.forbes.com/sites/insideasia/2017/11/17/the-likely-reason-north-korea-has-stopped-its-ballistic-missile-tests-for-now/#30ed4b2c7d52

 

 

China now insists (contrary to China's agreement with the US not to do so) on a freeze-for-freeze agreement* between North Korea and the US as condition for further talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Unless China takes the lead to produce credible results to bring North Korea to international negotiations, talks between North Korea and any other country will be unproductive and only give North Korea more time to further its nuclear development. Meanwhile it appears that China is willing to live with a nuclear North Korea.

 

The US last remaining non-military option is to sanction China for its current about face and refusal to STOP Jung-On. But that would likely ruin one of the few economic successes in the Trump administration: Stock market boom.

 

* https://www.news24.com/World/News/china-renews-call-for-north-korea-us-freeze-for-freeze-20171117