In response to growing threats from North Korea, Japan, South Korea, and the United States have decided to increase their security cooperation. This comes after North Korea conducted its first ever test of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). As a deterrent and reaction to North Korea’s “nuclear and missile threats,” defense officials from the three nations discussed the regularization of missile defense drills and anti-submarine exercises.
According to a statement released on Friday following the 13th Defense Trilateral Discussions in Washington, DC, participants explored methods to resume trilateral exercises. They “strongly criticized the DPRK’s persistent violations of UNSCRs, including its continuing nuclear and missile provocations and unlawful ship-to-ship transfers.” North Korea is formally known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (abbreviated DPRK). The statement also warned that the international community will respond forcefully to any nuclear test undertaken by the DPRK and called on Pyongyang to “immediately cease all destabilizing activities.” Concern has been expressed that North Korea, which last tested a nuclear bomb in 2017, may be ready to resume testing in light of the tremendous growth of its military arsenal in recent years. The test of the solid-fuel Hwasong-18 was a “miracle,” and state television showed Kim Jong Un and his family overseeing it on Friday. Kim has ordered a massive modernization of North Korea’s military, with an unprecedented number of tests scheduled for the year 2022.
Kim prioritized the development of solid-fuel technology in his arsenal because it is more user-friendly, more maneuverable, and can be deployed more quickly than its liquid-propelled counterpart. This year’s increased testing comes as US and South Korean forces conduct massive joint military maneuvers, which Pyongyang alleges are a dress rehearsal for invasion. Since a 2019 meeting between Kim and then-US President Donald Trump broke down, denuclearization discussions have halted. The trio of defense officials issued a fresh plea for North Korea to resume negotiations. The “road to conversation” is still available, the statement said.
