North Korea’s New Test | US Defense Secretary: War with Pyongyang Would Be Catastrophic

Just hours after a new missile test by North Korea, the United States Defense Secretary warned that if the issue of Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile activities is not resolved through diplomatic negotiations, war with North Korea would be “catastrophic.”

Jim Mattis, US Defense Secretary, said on Sunday in the “Face the Nation” program on CBS News that a potential war with North Korea, should it occur, would be catastrophic.

He said if we cannot resolve this issue through diplomatic means, a conflict with North Korea could be the worst kind of war that many people have ever seen.

The US Defense Secretary, noting that diplomatic solutions have yet to yield results, said we cannot wait until their ballistic missiles are equipped with nuclear warheads and then say now it is clear that they are acting against international law.

Another Test

The remarks of the US Defense Secretary came hours after North Korea’s latest missile test. South Korea announced that North Korea conducted a test of an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Sunday off the east coast of the country.

South Korea’s new government held an emergency meeting following this test. South Korea’s newly elected president had previously promised to resume talks with its northern neighbor.

Meanwhile, Japan also reacted to this missile test. The tested missile fell into the waters of the Sea of Japan, and for this reason Japan condemned North Korea’s action and called it provocative.

With Sunday’s test, North Korea’s number of missile tests since President Trump took office has reached 9 in the past six months.

The US government says it has asked its allies, including China, to pressure North Korea to halt its controversial missile and nuclear programs.

The United States has increased sanctions against North Korea over the past month.

Source: Voice of America