North Korean state media silent on recent missile launches amid Trump-Kim diplomacy signals
Quick Look
- North Korean state media made no mention of ballistic missiles fired from Wonsan toward the East Sea on Saturday, continuing a pattern of silence since early August despite typical publicity of such launches, as U.S.
- President Donald Trump signals intent to meet Kim Jong-un later this year.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
North Korea has typically used state media to publicize ballistic missile launches the following day, especially when leader Kim Jong-un oversees them. Recent launches occurred during U.S.-South Korea joint exercises.
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korean state media on Sunday made no mention of the ballistic missiles fired a day earlier, continuing a pattern of silence over its missile launches since early August.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and the Rodong Sinmun, the most widely read newspaper in the country, had made no mention of the launches as of 9 a.m.
On Saturday, North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea, just a day after South Korea, the United States and Japan wrapped up their trilateral military exercise.
Pyongyang fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Aug. 6 and another on Aug. 12, followed by a barrage of the same type of ballistic missiles on Aug. 20, as South Korea and the United States staged their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise. North Korean state media remained silent on all three launches.
The North has typically used its state media to publicize its ballistic missile launches the following day, especially when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen them.
The silence comes amid conciliatory signals toward Pyongyang from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has expressed his intention to meet Kim later this year.
During his first term, Trump met with Kim three times: the first in June 2018 in Singapore, the second in February 2019 in Hanoi and the third at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year
Possible · Within months
Open Questions
- Why is North Korean state media remaining silent on missile launches?
- Will the silence affect upcoming U.S.-North Korea diplomatic talks?
- What is the strategic intent behind the timing of these launches?
