North Korea sends ‘a subtle signal’ to Trump about dialogue – via a missile test

The missile launch came on the heels of the newly inaugurated US president acknowledging Kim Jong-un’s hermit state as a nuclear power

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (right) oversees the test-firing from underwater of a strategic cruise and guided weapon at an undisclosed location in a photograph released by state media on Sunday. Photo: KCNA via KNS/AFP

Published: 8:00am, 28 Jan 2025Updated: 1:07pm, 28 Jan 2025

North Korea’s latest missile test, its first since US President Donald Trump’s inauguration, appears to be an attempt to gauge Washington’s willingness to resume dialogue while taking aim at the recent US-South Korea joint military drills, according to analysts.

The launch was conducted under the supervision of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, whom Trump had earlier said he would reach out to, calling him and the hermit kingdom he leads a “nuclear power”.

On Saturday, North Korea reportedly carried out a “strategic” sea-to-surface cruise missile test, displaying the weapon’s capability to deliver nuclear weapons.

Yang Moo-jin, head of the University of North Korean Studies, called the move a “low-key provocative act” aimed at enhancing Pyongyang’s precision-strike capabilities, in contrast to testing long-range ballistic missiles designed for mass destruction.

In a statement issued on Sunday, North Korea’s foreign ministry accused the United States of provoking tensions through a series of military exercises with Seoul this month.

“The reality stresses that the DPRK [North Korea] should counter the US with the toughest counteraction from A to Z as long as it refuses the sovereignty and security interests of the DPRK and this is the best option for dealing with the US,” the ministry said.