MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th May, 2019) North Korea's launch of short-range projectiles on Saturday is a warning to the United States that further inaction to break the deadlock in the negotiations may prompt Pyongyang to end its self-imposed moratorium on missile and nuclear tests, Akira Kawasaki, a senior member of the Steering Group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), told Sputnik.
On Saturday, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that Pyongyang had launched several short-range missiles from the city of Wonsan toward the Sea of Japan. However, the JSC avoided the word "missiles" in its later statements. The unidentified projectiles reportedly flew from 43 to 124 miles. The North Korean state-run media reported on Sunday that the drills were aimed at testing large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons.
"North Korea's launch of short-range projectiles should be understood as a political signal to the US, pressuring for concrete actions to advance the stalled negotiations. The launch of such short-range projectiles is not prohibited by the UN. Therefore, it can be seen as a controlled action to test the US, by implying that further inaction on the part of the US would lead to North Korean resumption of the prohibited testing of mid- or long-range missiles, or even nuclear weapons," Kawasaki said.
He stressed that resumption of missile and nuclear test would destroy "the fragile dialogue process" launched between Washington and Pyongyang last year and may lead to military escalation and confrontation.
The ICAN member added that concrete action was needed now from both sides to end the conflict on the Korean Peninsula and establish pathways to dismantle nuclear weapons.
"The US should provide concrete action to assure the security of North Korea, while North Korea is required to first take action for verified denuclearization. Strengthening of sanctions would certainly not help the situation," Kawasaki said, adding that the international community also needed to help promoting dialogue.
After the news about North Korea's launch of projectiles emerged, US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that a nuclear deal with Pyongyang was still possible.
In 2017, ICAN won the Nobel Peace prize for its work in reminding people of the dire consequences of the use of nuclear weapons.
