
Kim Jong-un is not as defenseless as the media portrayed him lately.
Last weekend, North Korea tested a new type of ballistic rockets perfectly capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to the United States mainland. These new additions are considerably more powerful and efficient than anything else North Korea wielded until now, transforming the country from an irritable pestering presence to one of our biggest nuclear threats.
Jubilant at the sight of the test’s results, Kim Jong-un was obiously sending an international message. It’s North Korea’s way of finally exposing its teeth, showing that sometimes, a barking dog does indeed bite.
Pyongyang Has Threatened Its Enemies for Decades
This is not the first time a North Korean leader threatened one of its enemies. As his predecessor, Kim Jong-un desires to erase Seoul from the face of the Earth. Now, if the propaganda is real – and chances are this is not another exaggerated lie – North Korea could finally constitute a very real and very big nuclear threat for both South Korea and all its allies.
Coupled with Sunday’s successful trials, North Korea’s incessant efforts to become a nuclear power have made the country a top priority in President’s Trump foreign policy to-do list. Although the POTUS has expressed his intentions of meeting with the country’s dictator, other, even more pressing matters, stopped him from going through with this promise. In the meantime, Kim Jong-un declared:
“the most perfect weapon systems in the world will never become the eternal exclusive property of the U.S.”
This loosely translates into “the United States should choose its enemies with more care.” It could also be a hint at North Korea’s nuclear capabilities. Alas, it could also be a giant bluff.
Is This a Message to Moon Jae-in?
Some think Kim Jong-un is trying to send a not-so-discrete message to South Korea’s new president, Moon Jae-in. The freshly-instated liberal has declared numerous times he is planning on sitting down with Kim Jong-un to try and reach an agreement. Such a display of forces can efficiently silence any peace talks.
On the other hand, Europe, Japan, and the United States have been gathering an impressive fleet in the Pacific Ocean, so the missile test could have been the North Korean dictator’s way of saying “I’m not as defenseless as you think.”
Image Source: Flickr