Opinion : North Korea’s man with the shades and the missiles just won’t disappear
Washington PostMar 27, 2022
On Tues., US Deputy Sec. of State Wendy Sherman, who is in Seoul to meet with senior officials from Japan and S. Korea, vowed a "forceful response" if N. Korea conducts any nuclear tests, amid fears that Pyongyang has reopened its Punggye-ri nuclear test site.
This comes as the US and S. Korea, also on Tues., carried out a joint air demonstration with 20 military aircraft over the peninsula's west coast - another message of force and warning to the North.
North Korea's actions pose a severe threat to the stability of the Korean peninsula and the security of the rest of the world. The US has so far failed to negotiate an end to nuclear weapons in exchange for humanitarian aid - it's time for some new ideas about how to resolve this threat.
Though Kim may seem like a madman, he's simply using the only leverage he has in dealing with South Korea and the US. His nuclear ambitions are designed to seek political gains and sanctions relief, after successive American administrations derailed diplomatic routes to denuclearization.