CNN "US on Alert for Possible North Korean Provocations"

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The U.S. government is reportedly wary of the possibility that North Korea may conduct its first missile launch since the inauguration of the Joe Biden administration, CNN reported on the 16th (local time).

CNN cited sources saying that with the ongoing joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S., and the visits of Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to Japan and South Korea, there is an assessment that provocations could occur.

Just a day earlier, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un and vice department director of the Workers' Party, warned in a statement, "The new U.S. administration should not cause a foul odor with its first step." This is North Korea's first official stance toward the Biden administration since its inauguration.

North Korea has refrained from provocations for nearly two months since the Biden administration took office. CNN mentioned scenarios such as missile launches and rocket combustion tests as possible.

Bruce Klingner, senior researcher at the Heritage Foundation, said, "Traditionally, North Korea has provoked when a new administration in the U.S. and South Korea takes office," emphasizing, "It would not be surprising if provocations occur." However, he explained, "If North Korea provokes, it can be perfectly predicted."

Secretaries Blinken and Austin moved from Japan to South Korea on the same day and will stay for two days. Secretary Blinken is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting with Chinese officials on the 18th in Anchorage, Alaska.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.