Pyongyang launches short-range missiles, in first act of defiance against Biden administration in Washington • North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister: "We will continue to ignore US calls"
North Korean ballistic missile launch // Photo: AP
North Korea has conducted a short-range missile test, the South Korean news agency "Yonhap" reported today (Tuesday).
According to the report, the experiment took place over the past weekend and was not published in the official media in the closed country.
The Washington Post claimed that the experiment was another act of defiance by North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un against the Biden administration, and was intended to make it clear to Washington that a tough stance against Pyongyang would be obtained as the country's military buildup continued.
North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Chu Sun-hoi responded yesterday to the Biden administration's diplomatic attempts to contact North Korea, saying: "We do not think it is necessary to respond to US attempts to pull time through tactics. We will ignore its appeals in the future as well."
Earlier this month it was revealed that Pyongyang had ignored several appeals from senior officials in the Biden administration in order to hold initial talks on the country’s dismantling of its nuclear arsenal and halting its ballistic missile program.
North Korea's moves increase the chances that the Biden administration will have to turn to heavier sanctions against the country and a tougher rhetoric against Kim's rule.
The Biden government has hinted that it will publish a document detailing its North Korean policy as early as next month.
