North Korea has fired several short-range ballistic missiles just days before U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned visit to South Korea for a major regional summit. South Korea’s military reported the launches early on Wednesday, saying they appeared to come from an area near Pyongyang, the North Korean capital.
This was North Korea’s first ballistic missile test since May and the first since South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung, took office. Lee has promised to focus on dialogue and engagement with Pyongyang, but the missile tests have raised tensions ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which both Lee and Trump are scheduled to attend next week.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said that several short-range missiles were launched in a northeasterly direction and flew about 350 kilometers (217 miles) before landing inland. Officials said they had detected suspicious military activity before the launch and tracked the missiles until they fell to the ground.
The missile launches are a direct violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, which ban North Korea from developing or testing ballistic missiles. Despite these bans, North Korea has continued to advance its weapons programs over the past decade, testing both short- and long-range missiles, including ones capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
Trump’s Visit to South Korea
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet President Lee Jae Myung in Seoul next week during the APEC summit. Trump is also expected to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping while in Asia.
There has been speculation that Trump and Lee might try to arrange an informal meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the visit, but Pyongyang has not given any public response to the idea. U.S. officials reportedly discussed a possible trip to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea, though no such visit has been confirmed.
As a security measure, South Korea has suspended public tours of the Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjom, the inter-Korean border village, until early November. Officials have not confirmed whether Trump will travel to the DMZ or meet Kim during his short stay.
History of Trump-Kim Relations
Trump and Kim held three historic summits between 2018 and 2019, during which they exchanged what Trump described as “beautiful letters.” However, talks broke down after the U.S. demanded that North Korea fully give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief. Since then, the two sides have not resumed formal negotiations.
In September, Kim Jong Un said he still had “fond memories” of Trump and was open to talks if the U.S. stopped demanding denuclearization first. However, he also made it clear that North Korea would never give up its nuclear arsenal as a condition for lifting international sanctions.
Experts say that another Trump-Kim meeting, though unlikely, cannot be ruled out. Victor Cha, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said it would not be surprising if Trump discussed Kim’s nuclear status during his trip. “Even a short meeting could have meaning,” he said, “considering all the challenges the U.S. is facing globally.”
Andrew Yeo, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, noted that a meeting was still unlikely given Trump’s short stay. “Trump is only in South Korea for two days, and his meeting with Xi Jinping is expected to take most of his schedule,” Yeo explained.
Continued Missile Development
Despite years of sanctions and international pressure, North Korea has continued to upgrade its missile and nuclear programs. Its military has developed long-range missiles that could potentially reach the United States if launched at a specific angle and speed.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said North Korea’s latest missile tests posed no direct threat to Japan’s safety. She confirmed that Japan was working closely with the United States and South Korea to share real-time information about the launches.
North Korea’s last ballistic missile test took place on May 8, when it fired multiple short-range missiles from its east coast. Earlier this month, Pyongyang also displayed its newest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) during a military parade attended by a senior Chinese official.
The latest launches come at a sensitive time, just before key diplomatic meetings between the United States, China, and South Korea, and underline North Korea’s continued defiance of global efforts to limit its weapons development.