North Korea fired what it described as an intermediate-range strategic missile Oct. 3, and an expert warned that such a missile could put Guam and parts of Alaska within range, raising the stakes for the U.S. and its allies as President Donald Trump seeks to revive diplomacy with Kim Jong Un. Kim personally oversaw the drill, North Korean state media claimed, while former U.S. Forces Korea analyst Sydney Seiler told Fox News Digital that its range means the latest test has implications extending far beyond the Korean Peninsula.
According to , citing North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency, the missile was described as part of a "hypersonic strategic weapon system" and traveled about 1,000 kilometers, or 621 miles, away in waters off the country's east coast. Guam holds strategic military importance as a U.S. territory in the western Pacific and hosts major military installations, including Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Base Guam. NORTH KOREA EXPERT WARNS US CAN 'NEVER TAKE THEIR EYE OFF' KIM JONG UN FOLLOWING MISSILE TEST DURING IRAN WAR "What is interesting about an IRBM launch — an intermediate-range ballistic missile that flies around 3,000 to 5,000 kilometers — is that it brings Guam, parts of Alaska, and Japan into range of North Korea," Seiler, a former National Intelligence Council officer focused on North Korea, said while cautioning against fully viewing the launch as a direct response to Trump.
"But when you consider the preparation required for an intermediate-range ballistic missile system, it is unlikely this was primarily a response to the president's comments or actions over the past few days," Seiler said. Hours after the Oct. 3 missile launch, Trump had touted his relationship with Kim during a rally in Vandalia, Ohio. "I get along great with Kim Jong Un.
Isn't it nice to get along with the leaders of massive nuclear nations?" Trump said. He also added: "When someone has 112 nuclear missiles, it is better to get along with them," pointing to North Korea's nuclear capabilities as a reason for maintaining open diplomatic communication. "North Korea simply isn't interested in talking right now, so they have no incentive not to launch," Seiler said of the recent missile test and Trump's latest remarks.
"The fact that they're doing these missile launches amid a diplomatic effort by President Trump to try to re-engage the North, you have to see them only as somewhat related." RUSSIA DEPLOYS NORTH KOREAN MISSILE UNIT TO UKRAINE; MOSCOW-PYONGYANG AXIS DEEPENS: REPORT The test also followed North Korea's launch of two short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area on Sept. 20, according to reports. Officials from the U.S., South Korea and Japan said Oct. 3 that North Korea's ballistic missile tests violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and threaten regional and international security.
Seiler, now a nonresident senior adviser with the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Pyongyang's posture extends beyond its relationship with the Trump administration. The latest launch comes "within the larger context of a current absolute stand down on dialogue with South Korea and repeated rejections of overtures from the United States for dialogue," Seiler said. "But North Korea has refrained from some more aggressive actions during the president’s term of office; we haven't seen an ICBM launch for almost two years now." TRUMP ORDERS MAJOR CUT TO US-SOUTH KOREA DRILLS AS NORTH KOREA RAMPS UP MISSILE TESTS Seiler warned that restraint should not, however, be mistaken for a willingness to abandon Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.
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