The first launch was on March 2nd. It had been 95 days since the last launch on December 28th, 2019. Regarding this, Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea mentioned that such actions are not helpful for the relaxation of tension in the Korean peninsula and urged to stop immediately. North Korea answered to this mention with a radical and insulting remark by Kim Yo-jong, the sister of Kim Jong-un.

▲ Kim Yo-jong, the sister of Kim Jong-un and first deputy director of the Workers` Party

However, confusing enough, Kim Jong-un sent a letter supporting the overcome of COVID-19 toward Moon, the president of South Korea the next day. Subsequently, North Korea fired its second projectile of the month on March 9th. The United States of America claimed that it contained KN-25, a short-range ballistic missile, which U.N. Security Council prohibited North Korea launching in 2006, with Security Council Resolution 1718. North Korea denied and referred to it as a "super-large caliber" artillery rocket.

▲ The third projectile of North Korea in this month.

Under these circumstances, North Korea made its third launch on March 21st. The projectiles are two North Korea version of ATACMS, a ground-to-ground missile. The next day, Kim Yo-jong revealed a letter from Trump regarding the cooperation with North Korea in the fields of disinfection of COVID-19. This suggestion is an extension of the State Department Announcement on March 18th. Kim Yo-jong added that the relationship between two leaders is excellent, contrary to the relationship between countries. However, there is also an analysis that North Korea would not accept the suggestion. North Korea is propagating its disinfection system, claiming that there is no one infected in the country. Cho Seong-ryul, an advisory Researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy, mentioned that there is a low probability of acceptance because Kim also knows the letter is for managing situations before the election.

▲ Whether cooperation will really take place remains to be seen.

The cooperation between North Korea and South Korea is also noteworthy since president Moon mentioned cooperation in the medical field in a celebration of the Independence Movement Day on March 1st. However, given that North Korea already had deceived and confused South Korea with the gesture of peace a lot, there are also voices of prudence.

March 22, 2020

by Shin Seung-won