North Korea launches multiple ballistic missiles into sea as South Korea warns of 'grave provocation'
FOX NewsAUG 2023
For decades, North Korea has invoked Washington's supposedly hostile policy to justify its increasingly aggressive posture. Yet it was Pyongyang that resumed escalation after Seoul and Washington suspended most of their joint exercises during the Trump administration. By constantly conducting new weapons tests and expanding North Korea's nuclear capabilities, Kim has solidified the regime's pariah status, not broken it.
North Korea's weapons tests are a symptom, not the cause, of regional tensions. The US bears the main responsibility for declining diplomatic relations with North Korea, especially as the Biden administration has switched back to a confrontational course following former Trump's efforts at de-escalation. By fueling conflict, the US hopes to establish closer ties with Japan and South Korea to cut into China’s regional influence.