North Korea backs off Guam threat By Rachel Lee

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called off his threat to fire ballistic missiles into seas off the U.S. territory of Guam, easing tension on the Korean Peninsula.

In his first public appearance in two weeks, Kim inspected the army command Monday and got a briefing on its military’s detailed plan to strike Guam, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Tuesday.

During the inspection of the army, Kim said he will watch the “foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees” for now and make a “grave” decision if Washington continues its “extremely dangerous” actions on the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang’s state media said.

The U.S. should “think rationally and make a precise decision to avoid humiliation,” the North Korean leader was quoted as saying.

The North claimed last week that it was examining a plan to fire four Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM) into waters near Guam, home to two major U.S. military bases.

The United States “should first make the right decision and show through actions if they wish to ease tension on the Korean Peninsula and prevent a dangerous military clash,” Kim said.

His remarks indicate North Korea has no plans to fire missiles immediately.

The North Korean leader’s backtrack from repeated threats to strike Guam came one day after China said it will tighten economic pressure on the North by implementing a new package of U.N. sanctions.

The Chinese government announced Monday a ban on imports of iron ore, iron, lead and coal from North Korea from Tuesday, cutting a critical lifeline to the isolated country.

Further provocations by the North could still take place, however, depending on how Seoul and Washington conduct the Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) exercise, which will begin Aug. 21. Pyongyang has called the drill a rehearsal for an invasion.

The North Korean leader has ordered the military to prepare itself at all times to fire ballistic missiles, saying it will be the most “satisfying historic moment” if the plan to fire ballistic missiles is carried out. Kim said the plan was very detailed “with prudence,” the state media reported.

However, Kim’s comments largely indicate North Korea is willing to hold talks with the United States.

The Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported Sunday that North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho said, during the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila, the Philippines, earlier this month, that his country wanted to hold a dialogue during a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono who urged Ri to resolve issues such as Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and its past abductions of Japanese nationals.

Quoting a government official, the newspaper said Ri’s remarks, aimed at North Korea-U.S. talks, could mean North Korea will demand Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has a close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, be a mediator.

Ri’s remark could also be intended to stir the international community, which has stepped up sanctions against the North to stop its nuclear and missile development, by expressing its will to negotiate.

Tensions escalated with the North and the U.S. threatening each other with a war of words after Pyongyang launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) last month. The U.N. Security Council adopted a Washington-led sanctions resolution on Pyongyang earlier this month.

Source:koreatimes.co.kr