North Korea's provocation

Allies must take action on 'routinized' missile launches

North Korea launched two short-range missiles into waters off its east coast, Thursday ― the North's first missile launch since it fired three short-range missiles in early May.

The latest provocation came hours after U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton left South Korea after a two-day visit, during which he held a series of meetings with ranking South Korean security and defense officials. He visited Japan before coming to Seoul.

This, of course, is not a coincidence. Pyongyang has demanded U.S. President Donald Trump exclude Bolton, whom it once described as "human scum," from their nuclear negotiations. North Korea views Bolton as one of the biggest obstacles in moving the nuclear talks forward.

With the missile launch, North Korea intends to increase pressure on Trump as the two sides are struggling to resume their working-level nuclear negotiations. Two days earlier, North Korea's state media released photos of Kim Jongun giving instructions to commanders in front of what it called a newly built submarine.

No doubt, the latest missile launch is part of Pyongyang's calculated steps to take the initiative ahead of the proposed working-level talks with Washington. North Korea is anticipated to launch missiles yet again in the not-too-distant future.

According to the South Korean military, one of the two missiles flew 690 kilometers before landing in the sea, and is being viewed by officials here as a new type of short- to mid-range missile. Given they were not long-range missiles, the U.S. will probably not consider the launches a "major" provocation. Trump won't lose his patience, believing that Kim has not crossed the line. North Korea rather showed it has no intention of pulling out of dialogue with the U.S., but can do so anytime with the missile test.

The real problem is that a "tacit agreement" is being formed between the U.S. and North Korea that it is okay for the North to fire missiles as long as they are short-range. This helps North Korea continue to sharpen its missile technology and make its weapons more sophisticated. It has become routine that North Korea fires missiles and rockets.

Adam Mount, a nuclear expert at the Federation of American Scientists, tweeted, "The current bargain is: don't test nuclear warheads or long-range missiles and the United States won't object or seriously try to stop it."

The routinized North Korean missile tests will surely have ramifications for the defense systems of South Korea and Japan, and, by extension, the security environment in Northeast Asia. Obviously, something needs to be done now to stop it from using the launches as a means of "communication" with the U.S.

North Korea is also apparently using missiles launches as a metaphor for its grievances toward the alliance between South Korea and the U.S. Last week, North Korea warned that it would lift its 20-month suspension of nuclear and long-range missile tests if South Korea and the U.S. go ahead with a planned joint military exercise in August.