Tensions ease as N Korea holds off on Guam missile plan

SEOUL — Tensions on the Korean peninsula eased yesterday as the North Korean leader said he would delay a decision on firing missiles towards Guam while he watches the United States’ actions a little longer, as South Korea’s president said Seoul would seek to prevent war by all means.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said its leader Mr Kim Jong-un was briefed on the “plan for an enveloping fire at Guam” during an inspection on Monday of the Strategic Force Command which oversees the nuclear-armed state’s missile units.

But Mr Kim said he would “watch a little more the foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees” before executing any order. If they “persist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions on the Korean peninsula”, then North Korea would take action “as already declared”, he was quoted as saying.

“In order to defuse the tensions and prevent the dangerous military conflict on the Korean peninsula, it is necessary for the US to make a proper option first,” he added.

Some analysts suggested that Mr Kim’s comments have opened a possible path to de-escalating a growing crisis fuelled by bellicose words between US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leadership.

Their recent exchanges were focused on a North Korean threat to fire a volley of four missiles over Japan towards the US territory of Guam, which hosts a number of military bases.

This threat prompted a surge in tensions in the region last week, with Mr Trump saying the US military was “locked and loaded” if North Korea acted unwisely.

Speaking to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said it was urgent that the US and North Korea “put the brakes” on mutually irritating words and actions to prevent an “August crisis”, the Chinese foreign ministry said yesterday in a statement.

The ministry also said that the North Korean nuclear crisis had reached a “turning point” and it was time to enter peace talks.

“We now hope that all the concerned parties, in what they say and what they do, can contribute to extinguishing the fire (of the tense situation), rather than adding fuel to the fire,” ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during a daily briefing.

Beijing, which is Pyongyang’s main diplomatic ally, has repeatedly called on the US and North Korea to tone down their recent rhetoric. In addition, China is pressing for a return of the Six Party talks that have been dormant since 2009.

Ms Hua also applauded an article written by US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in the The Wall Street Journal in which they said that the US has “no interest” in a regime change in Pyongyang.

“We hope the US can translate this positive statement into concrete North Korea-related policies,” Ms Hua said. “At the same time, we call on North Korea to respond” to the positive statement.

Earlier in the day, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said that there would be no military action without Seoul’s consent and his government would prevent war by all means.

“Military action on the Korean peninsula can only be decided by South Korea and no one else can decide to take military action without the consent of South Korea,” Mr Moon said in a speech to commemorate the anniversary of the nation’s liberation from Japanese military rule in 1945.

“The government, putting everything on the line, will block war by all means” he stressed. AGENCIES