Is North Korea Pushing The U.S. To Tolerate Its Missile Tests and Nuclear Program?

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits Samjiyon City. © Reuters/KCNA  

USNI News: North Korea Pushing U.S. to Tolerate Missile Tests and Nuclear Program, Says Panel 

North Korea’s goal in dealing with the U.S. is to have Washington tolerate Pyongyang possessing nuclear weapons, a leading expert on international security said Monday. 

Kim Jong Un has “found this very sweet spot,” regarding missile testing without provoking the United States, while also sending out peace feelers to South Korea, Mi Sue Terry, director for Korean history and public policy at the Wilson Center, said at a day-long forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 

Washington is “at a worse spot” now in trying to negotiate the denuclearization of the peninsula, she said. Pyongyang “is trying to diversify its weapons” – with an arsenal of land-based, mobile, submarine-launched and cruise missiles with different ranges and payloads.  

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WNU Editor: Who knows what the North Korean leadership is thinking. My guess is that their priority is to have sanctions reduced, and be left alone with their missile tests and nuclear program.  

Update: U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is admitting that the US needs China when it comes to North Korea.... N. Korea a major area of cooperation between U.S., China: NSA Sullivan (Yonhap News Agency). Someone should tell the National Security advisor that China's influence over North Korea is actually limited, and they are certainly not going to sacrifice their political capital with the North Korean leadership just to help the US.  

Update #2: After a month in seclusion he decides to show up .... N.Korea's Kim visits new city in first public outing in over a month (Reuters).  

Update #3: I am sure many North Koreans can relate to the characters in this film .... Smuggled copies of Squid Game spread inside North Korea (Radio Free Asia).