U.S. officials call for strong response to North Korean missile tests
PBS NewsHourOct 19, 2021
US, South Korea Urge Kim to Negotiate After New 'Tactical Weapon' Test
Image copyright: KCNA/Reuters [via PBS]
The Facts
In Seoul, US special envoy for North Korea Sung Kim said US and South Korea agree on the need for the "strongest possible joint deterrence" to NK's recent spate of missile tests. The US, however, remains open to talks with NK leader Kim Jong-un without preconditions.
On Sun., NK state media reported that Pyongyang had successfully test-fired a new type of tactical guided weapon designed to boost its nuclear fighting capability, a day before the start of US-SK annual joint military drills.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
North Korea's actions are provocative and pose a severe threat to peace and to the stability of the Korean peninsula. North Korea remains a foreign-policy headache for the United States and its allies, and it's time for the US to take an even stronger stance.
Establishment-critical narrative
North Korea's actions are purely to protect itself. This new tactical weapon gives more defense capability to Pyongyang, boosting its ability for nuclear deterrence, and to avert imperialist threats and blackmail.