North Korea launched a ballistic missile on Monday, its first such test since President-elect Trump’s reelection. The previous missile test occurred on November 5th, just before the US election.
This latest launch suggests Kim Jong Un has no intention of improving relations with Trump compared to his relationship with President Biden.
The test follows the ruling party’s annual meeting in Pyongyang, where leaders denounced the US, Japan, and South Korea’s partnerships, labeling them a “nuclear military bloc.”
The Workers’ Party of Korea declared this situation dictates their future course of action.
Tensions with Western governments have escalated following North Korea’s deployment of troops to aid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Kim’s regime also condemned South Korea as an “anti-communist outpost” after recent events, referencing an attempted imposition of martial law in December.
After a week of silence, North Korea’s state media, KCNA, commented on South Korea’s foiled attempt at martial law on December 11th.
“The puppet Yoon Suk Yeol regime, facing a governance and impeachment crisis, declared martial law and used its fascist dictatorship’s force,” KCNA reported.
KCNA added that the international community views this incident as exposing vulnerabilities in South Korean society, potentially leading to Yoon Suk Yeol’s early political demise.
Following this power grab, South Korea’s legislature impeached Yoon, and a court is now deciding on his removal from office.