The firing of missiles is part of a longstanding playbook of feeling out new US presidents in an effort to put North Korea’s interests on agenda of policy makers in Washington.
At a military parade, North Korea unveiled what was likely the world’s largest road-ready intercontinental ballistic missile, designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads to the US.
The comments made by North Korea's leader offer the first significant signals of how he intends to approach his relationship with the new administration in the White House.
In a speech to open the congress, Kim Jong Un touted his foreign policy achievements over the past 5 years, noting that the 'external prestige of the country was raised remarkably.'
Kim said the party’s previous five-year development plan, which ended last year, missed its targets by a 'great degree' due to both 'internal and external challenges'.
The holiday events were closely watched for clues to how Kim planned to bolster North Korea's shrinking economy and approach the incoming Biden administration.
New Year’s Day has been among the biggest events on the North Korean political calendar, an occasion for its rulers to address their people & the world.
North Korea tested Obama with the launch of a long-range rocket & a nuclear device in 2009. It also conducted a series of ballistic missile tests when Trump entered the White House.
For the leaders of Turkey, North Korea & Israel, the ledger has been almost entirely positive, but Trump’s ejection would spell the return of a more conventional US foreign policy.
Size & likely engine configuration of missile unveiled by Kim Jong Un Saturday would allow it to carry several thousand pounds of payload anywhere in US, weapons experts say.
The Italian term sprezzatura—a studied nonchalance that conceals intention—best captures the spirit of Trump’s foreign policy so far. The pattern is unpredictability, transactionalism, and disruption as diplomacy.
With 20.2 percent of its total loans in default by the end of last year, Bangladesh had the weakest banking system in Asia. Despite reforms, it will take time to recover.
This world is being restructured and redrawn by one man, and what’s his power? It’s not his formidable military. It’s trade. With China, it turned on him.
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