Intelligence-reports: North Korea may conduct missile test before Trump's visit
After briefly traveling on the road to nuclear escalation, US-North Korea relations have been relatively calm this past month. However, South Korea's spy agency has said Pyongyang may conduct another missile test ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to the Korean peninsula. The assessment is based on intelligence suggesting the active movement of vehicles at one of Pyongyang's testing facilities. Here's more.
Context: Trump's East Asia tour
Trump is scheduled to embark on a five-nation East Asia tour between November 3-14. He will make his first stop in Seoul and go on to visit Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and China. The North Korean crisis will be a major focus during his visit.
Growing nuclear threats from North Korea
In July, North Korea tested an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) which purportedly brings the entire US within its strike range. In August, it threatened to launch nuclear attacks on the US-Pacific territory of Guam in response to Trump threatening it with "fire and fury." In September, Pyongyang tested a hydrogen-bomb in its sixth and most powerful test and fired its second missile over Japan.
Trump's visit: What to expect?
Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have been engaged in a dangerous war of words causing tensions to further escalate. The focus will be on what message Trump would send to North Korea and Kim during his visit to the South. Meanwhile, the US and its East Asian allies would likely attempt to chart a joint plan of action to handle the North.
