America is in an uproar. We can’t even vote in peace.
Because a sudden missile attack on election night puts the Pentagon on high alert.
On Tuesday, North Korea fired a series of short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, intensifying its displays of force just before the U.S. presidential election. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani reported that at least seven missiles flew up to 400 kilometers (250 miles) with an altitude reaching 100 kilometers (60 miles), landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
“North Korea’s actions, including a series of repeated missile launches, threaten the peace and safety of Japan, the region and the international community,” Nakatani said, as both Japan and South Korea ramped up their defenses and surveillance in response.
This missile barrage comes days after Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
In response, the U.S. deployed a long-range B-1B bomber over the region in joint drills with South Korea and Japan on Sunday, sparking backlash from Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong.
She accused the U.S. and its allies of “aggressive and adventuristic military threats.”
With the U.S. election on the horizon, South Korean officials speculate that North Korea may be escalating its military activity to capture Washington’s attention.
There are signs that Kim is readying for a potential seventh nuclear test, hoping to leverage an expanded arsenal for concessions, like sanctions relief, after the election.
Analysts believe Kim might prefer a Republican victory, particularly a Trump win, due to the high-stakes diplomacy he shared with Trump in 2018-2019, which he views as more promising than the stance of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who has criticized Trump’s past outreach to “tyrants and dictators.”
North Korea claims its recent Hwasong-19 ICBM is “the world’s strongest,” though experts note the massive solid-fuel missile faces technical hurdles, particularly in surviving atmospheric re-entry.
Beyond the Koreas, North Korea’s role in Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine is also drawing scrutiny. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reported on Monday that approximately 10,000 North Korean soldiers are stationed in Russia’s Kursk region near Ukraine’s border, preparing to join the conflict.
If confirmed, this would mark North Korea’s largest military engagement since the Korean War.
In Seoul on Monday, senior officials from South Korea and the European Union voiced concerns over a potential technology exchange between Russia and North Korea that could enhance Kim’s nuclear program in exchange for troop support.
They warned such transfers could “jeopardize international non-proliferation efforts and threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and across the globe.”
The response to North Korea’s expanding arsenal has been an increase in joint military exercises between the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. North Korea decries these drills as preparation for an invasion, using them to justify its nuclear ambitions.
At the U.N. Security Council meeting Monday, North Korean Ambassador Kim Song defended his country’s nuclear and ICBM programs, arguing they are a defensive response to perceived nuclear threats from the U.S.
U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood made clear that America could not ignore North Korea’s growing nuclear capabilities, which pose a direct threat to U.S. security.
He also pressed Russia to address whether North Korean troops are operating in Russia. Russian Deputy Ambassador Anna Evstigneeva, however, dismissed the question, stating, “We’re not in a court here,” signaling an unwillingness to respond.
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