North Korea may launch an intercontinental ballistic missile or take other military action to protest North Korea may launch an intercontinental ballistic missile or take other military action to protest a summit between the United States, South Korea and Japan, a South Korean lawmaker said Thursday, citing the country’s intelligence agency.
US President Joe Biden will meet South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumi Kishida at Camp David on Friday in hopes of strengthening ties between Seoul and Tokyo amid North Korea’s nuclear threats and China’s influence in the region.
North Korea has criticized deepening military cooperation between the three nations as part of a dangerous prelude to creating an “Asian version of NATO”.
The reclusive nation could also attempt another spy satellite launch in late August or early September after failing to send the country’s first such platform into space in May, Yoo Sang-bum, a member of South Korea’s parliament, told reporters after a meeting with South Korea’s parliament. head of the National Intelligence Service.
Yoo said there is a chance the North will launch a satellite to celebrate its founding anniversary on September 9. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made it a priority to launch during the second half of this year, Yoo noted.
North Korea and Russia agreed on broad defense cooperation when Russia’s defense minister met Kim and watched a military parade with him in Pyongyang last month, Yoo cited South Korean intelligence as saying.
“The National Intelligence Service expects Russia and North Korea to step up their defense cooperation and is closely monitoring moves” to detect any possible Russian transfer of nuclear missile technology to Pyongyang, the lawmaker said.
The United States has accused North Korea of providing weapons to Russia for what it calls a “special operation” war in Ukraine, including artillery shells, shoulder-fired missiles and rockets. Pyongyang and Moscow have denied the arms transactions.
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