North Korea Warns US Against Shooting Down Missiles

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Facts

  • The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Kim Yo Jong, on Tuesday, stated that the US allegedly plans to shoot down or intercept North Korea’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) during a test launch would amount to a 'declaration of war.'1
  • Neither the US nor its allies have ever shot down a North Korean ballistic missile, though the UN Security Council has banned it, and speculation emerged after Kim Yo Jong suggested the North could fire missiles over Japan.2
  • Her statement comes one day after the US and South Korea conducted combined air drills that included at least one nuclear-capable B-52H strategic bomber. Last week, the countries conducted drills with a B-1B bomber.3
  • The allies are also scheduled to carry out their computer-simulated command post training, known as the Freedom Shield exercise, from March 13-23 reportedly to strengthen deterrence against Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats.3
  • In recent months, the US and South Korea have ramped up their joint drills in response to North Korea’s conducting of a record number of missile tests and threatening to utilize its nuclear arsenal in a potential conflict.4
  • Last month, Kim Yo-jong threatened to turn the Pacific Ocean into the North's firing range. All reported North Korean ICBM tests have been made at steep angles to avoid neighboring countries, splashing down in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.5

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2Reuters, 3Korea Herald, 4Associated Press and 5Politico.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by FOX News. North Korea can’t threaten to turn the Pacific into a “firing range” and expect its neighbors, and the US, to stand idly by. It’s Pyongyang that’s doing the saber-rattling here, and the South Korea-US drills are just meant to give the North second thoughts about trying anything dangerous. Deterrence should be even stronger now that Japan and South Korea have buried the hatchet and strengthened their alliance.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by RT. The US and its South Korean puppet state are the ones causing unrest in the region as flying a nuclear-capable bomber during drills is a dangerous provocation. After repeatedly having its objections against these exercises ignored, North Korea has no choice but to flex its muscles — especially if the UN fails to fulfill its request to call for the end of the US-South Korea drills.

Predictions