Mere hours before US President Donald Trump arrived in South Korea for this week’s Apec summit, Pyongyang launched a salvo of ship-based cruise missiles in an act analysts viewed as a calculated bid to reinforce its nuclear credentials.
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The missiles, described by North Korean state media as enhanced models optimised for ship-based launches, were fired vertically on Tuesday, reportedly soaring for about 7,800 seconds – more than two hours – before striking their land-based target. Pyongyang claims its arsenal is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Notably absent from the test was supreme leader Kim Jong-un and the launch went unreported by the official Workers’ Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun. Instead, senior military officials including Pak Jong-chon, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, oversaw proceedings.
Trump was due to arrive in the South Korean city of Gyeongju on Wednesday to join other heads of state and business leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Asked on Wednesday about the launch, Trump brushed off concerns, reportedly saying of Kim: “He’s been launching missiles for decades, right?”
He told reporters aboard Air Force One that he expected to hold a meeting with the North Korean leader “at some point in the not too distant future”, reiterating that the pair “had a really good understanding of each other”.
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Speculation about a fourth Trump-Kim summit taking place while the US president is in the region has so far proved unfounded.