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Last week, when the North Korean government held its anniversary celebration parade, it surprised observers by not displaying long-range ballistic missiles. It was rather a muted parade that included military reservists, police officers, workers, and others.
Never short of surprises, North Korea launched ballistic missiles from a train on Wednesday, flexing its muscle and showing its capability to launch mobile missiles. Days before that, it launched a new type of long-range cruise missiles. [ https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/15/south-korea-says-pyongyang-tested-pair-of-ballistic-missiles ]
Rhetoric followed the launch about the dictatorial regime’s power and its determination to eliminate rivals, mainly South Korea and the U.S.
South Korea didn’t take it lying down. It has said that it conducted its first underwater-launched ballistic missile test soon after the North Korea launch. [ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/17/north-korea-fired-ballistic-missiles-from-train-amid-rising-tensions-with-the-south ]
The tensions are rising in the Korean Peninsula. Experts are not surprised at North Korea’s actions to attract world attention.
After the missiles tests, there are reports that satellite photos reveal that North Korea may be expanding a plant used to enrich uranium for nuclear bombs. [ https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-expanding-plant-used-to-make-weapons-grade-uranium-reports-413754 ]As these developments have come in quick succession, experts say that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un may be a mood to ratchet up tensions even further.
Experts say that North Korea wants to put pressure on the United States so that it can get some relief from the crippling economic sanctions that the country has been facing for several years now. The dictator has so far rejected the Biden administration’s efforts to engage the country.
Experts say North Korea could take “another incremental step” in the testing sphere depending on how North Korea assesses Biden's response to its latest missile provocation. [ https://www.voanews.com/a/experts-north-korea-likely-to-escalate-tensions-to-gain-leverage/6232351.html ]
A little over a month ago, North and South Korea restored hotlines between the two and talked to each other, raising expectations. But the trajectory of the relationship has been down since then.
Read more:
News report:
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/15/asia/north-korea-missiles-intl-hnk/index.html
The relations between the two over the years:
https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297a/North%20Kores-%20South%20Kores%20Relations%20Since%20the%20Korean%20War
The restoration of the hotline:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-57979937