Trump's Reaction to North Korea's Missile Launch: All Options Are on the Table

On Tuesday, September 7, Donald Trump reacted to North Korea's missile launch that flew over Japan, a close ally of the United States, emphasizing Washington's military threat against that country, stating: "All options are on the table." According to the Associated Press, the U.S. President said in a brief written statement that North Korea's missile launch "demonstrates that country's disrespect for its neighbors, all members of the United Nations, and its disregard for minimum standards in international behavior." He added: "Threatening and destabilizing behavior will only lead to further isolation of the North Korean regime in the region and around the world. All options are on the table." After reading this statement, Mr. Trump responded to reporters who asked what the U.S. would do by saying: "We'll see, we'll see." North Korea launched a medium-range missile designed to carry a nuclear warhead on Tuesday. Officials stated that this missile flew over Japan and landed in the northern Pacific Ocean. At the same time, U.S. and South Korean forces were conducting joint military exercises in the area. Although Trump's statement was very assertive, it was not as harsh as his previous messages on Twitter and earlier comments in August. Three weeks ago, he warned that if North Korea continued to threaten the U.S., it would face "fire and fury." A few days later, he added that a military response was "under consideration and ready." However, last week, the Trump administration suddenly adopted a softer tone. He praised North Korea for not launching any missiles over the past month and suggested that North Korea's restraint might be a sign for new negotiations to begin. But this pause ended with North Korea launching three short-range missiles from its eastern coast on Friday. The U.S. President has consistently avoided going into details about a potential preemptive strike against North Korea, telling reporters that operational details of such a plan must remain secret to maintain operational superiority. Trump's statement on Tuesday indicates that a military action by the U.S. against North Korea is a real possibility, although an actual attack seems unlikely overall. Even Steve Bannon, Trump's strategic advisor, described North Korea's military threats as a "bluff" shortly before being dismissed from his position earlier this month. The Associated Press adds that North Korea has the largest ready-to-fight army in the world and could easily target Seoul, the capital of South Korea, and its surrounding areas, which have a population of about 25 million, with its conventional weapons. Despite all U.S. Democratic and Republican presidents always talking about "all options on the table" in dealing with North Korea, U.S. officials are well aware that North Korea would target South Korea or Japan in response to any attack from the U.S. The result could be a war with heavy casualties on both sides, endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands of American military and civilian personnel in Northeast Asia. Despite the tough rhetoric in recent weeks, the U.S. government has always emphasized that it intends to compel North Korea to retreat using economic and diplomatic methods. Earlier this month, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved the harshest sanctions against North Korea in response to its testing of two intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach U.S. territory. The U.S. and its allies are now trying to persuade China, North Korea's only ally, to exert more pressure on that country. The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet on Tuesday evening in response to the latest missile launch by North Korea. The missile launch has caused significant concern in the region. Residents of northern Japan were warned via their mobile phones and advised to stay indoors. Loudspeakers warned people, saying: "A missile is passing, a missile is passing." This missile launch on Tuesday has ended hopes for a reduction in tensions that we witnessed in the recent statements of U.S. officials.