Trump has 'no problem' with latest DPRK test

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump played down what appeared to be the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's third missile launch in just over week, saying they were short-range and "very standard" and would not affect his willingness to negotiate with Pyongyang.

The Republic of Korea's military said unidentified short-range projectiles were fired at 2:59 am and 3:23 am local time on Friday from the DPRK's South Hamgyong Province into the East Sea, traveling around 220 kilometers at an altitude of 25 km.

A US official said US intelligence had detected at least one, and possibly multiple projectiles, that did not pose a threat to North America. US officials said initial information indicated the activity was similar to two other short-range missile tests by Pyongyang in the past eight days.

Trump, who has been hoping to revive denuclearization talks with Pyongyang, played down the launches, which have come despite his June 30 meeting with the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong-un at which they agreed to revive stalled talks.

Asked at the White House before setting off for a campaign trip to Ohio if he thought Kim was testing him, Trump said the launches did not violate the DPRK leader's promises to him. "I think it's very much under control, very much under control," he told reporters.

They were "short-range missiles", Trump said. "We never made an agreement on that. I have no problem. We'll see what happens. But these are short-range missiles. They are very standard."

Asked if he could still negotiate with Kim, he replied: "Oh, sure, sure. Because these are short-range missiles. We never discussed that. We discussed nuclear. What we talked about is nuclear. Those are short-range missiles. Sure, and a lot of other countries test that kind of missile also."

Pyongyang fired two short-range ballistic missiles early on Wednesday, only days after it launched two similar missiles on July 25.

"We are monitoring the situation in case of additional launches and maintaining a readiness posture," the ROK's Yonhap News Agency quoted the country's Joint Chiefs of Staff as saying.

The ROK National Security Council expressed deep concern after last week's launch, saying it was of no help to efforts to defuse military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Japan's Ministry of Defense said on Friday no immediate impact was seen on the nation's security after the new DPRK launch.

'The real diplomacy'

Earlier on Thursday, US national security adviser John Bolton told Fox Business Network that the launches since last week did not violate Kim's pledge not to test long-range missiles or nuclear bombs. However, he added: "You have to ask when the real diplomacy is going to begin, when the working-level discussions on denuclearization will begin."

Bolton said both Seoul and Tokyo were concerned by the recent launches, "because they're within range, we think, of this particular missile". He made no mention of the tens of thousands of US troops based in both countries.

The DPRK's launches have appeared intended to put pressure on Seoul and Washington to stop planned military exercises this month and offer other concessions.

Pyongyang has said the planned military drills could derail dialogue with Washington.

Agencies - Xinhua

(China Daily 08/03/2019 page8)