US Ready to Adjust Military Posture Against North Korea’s Nuclear Threat: Envoy

Sung Kim, U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea, speaks during trilateral meeting between Japan, the United States, and South Korea, to discuss North Korea, in Tokyo, Japan, on Sept. 14, 2021. David Mareuil/Pool via Reuters/File Photo

The United States is prepared to adjust its military posture to deter North Korea’s provocations, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea said on Friday, amid signs of an imminent nuclear test by Pyongyang.

“We are preparing for all contingencies in close coordination with our Japanese and [South Korean] allies,” special envoy Sung Kim said at a trilateral meeting with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Seoul, Reuters reported.

Washington has assessed that North Korea is preparing for “what would be its seventh nuclear test” at its Punggye-ri testing site, Kim said, adding that the assessment is consistent with Pyongyang’s recent public statements.

“We are prepared to make both short and longer-term adjustments to our military posture as appropriate and responding to any [North Korea] provocation and as necessary to strengthen both defense and deterrence to protect our allies in the region,” he said.

“We want to make clear to the DPRK that its unlawful and destabilizing activities have consequences and that the international community will not accept these actions as normal,” Kim added, using North Korea’s official acronym.

Kim Gunn, South Korea's new special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs (C), his U.S. counterpart Sung Kim (R), and Japanese counterpart Takehiro Funakoshi pose for photographs before their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, on June 3, 2022. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool/Reuter

The Kim regime demolished the Punggye-ri nuclear testing site in May 2018 as a sign of its commitment to end nuclear testing. But South Korean and American intelligence recently reported spotting construction work at the site.

South Korea’s nuclear envoy, Kim Gunn, said at the meeting that “North Korea’s relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons will only end up strengthening our deterrence” and that it will ultimately “run counter to Pyongyang’s own interest.”

Funakoshi Takehiro, Japan’s director-general for Asian and Oceanian Affairs, emphasized the need to strengthen regional deterrence, including trilateral security cooperation.

North Korea had launched a series of missile tests this year, the most recent being on May 25, when it launched three ballistic missiles just hours after President Joe Biden ended his trip to Asia.

Kim reaffirmed that Washington remains open to dialogue with North Korea and is willing to discuss sanctions relief. But Pyongyang has “shown no interest” to resume denuclearization talks due to what it says are the U.S. and its allies’ “hostile” policies.

“When [North Korean leader Kim Jong Un] sees that we are coordinating very closely with partners and allies, I hope this persuades him that the only viable path is diplomacy with us,” he said.

China and Russia vetoed the U.S. draft resolution on North Korean sanctions last week. Russia called the resolution “a path to a dead-end,” while China said it may lead to “negative effects and escalation of confrontation.”

Meanwhile, the three officials also raised concerns over the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in North Korea and urged the hermit nation to accept humanitarian aid to combat the outbreak.

“Our DPRK policy has been very clear in viewing the humanitarian developments as a separate issue from making progress on achieving the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” Kim said.