After more than 11 months, North Korea fired missiles again and US President Biden responded.

CCTV News:According to Yonhap News Agency’s report today (March 24th), citing South Korean government sources, North Korea launched two short-range cruise missiles into the western waters of the peninsula on the 21st. This is the second missile launch by North Korea after more than 11 months since April 14 last year, and it is also the first launch since US President Biden took office.

Profile picture: North Korea test-fired a new type of ground-to-ship cruise missile. Xinhua News Agency/Korean Central News Agency

South Korean government sources said that North Korea launched a cruise missile this time, so it did not violate the relevant UN Security Council resolutions concerning the DPRK. He Taiqing, an officer of the South Korean National Assembly Intelligence Committee and a member of the National Power Party, confirmed today that the South Korean and American military did not release news after consultation after monitoring the North Korean launch.

In response, Reuters quoted a US official as saying on 23rd that the missile launched by North Korea this time was not within the scope of many UN Security Council resolutions. In response, US President Biden said that this move shows that there has been no change in North Korea.

A the State Council spokesman said on the 23rd that the United States will stick to its current policy toward the DPRK and continue to be wary of North Korea’s provocation or use of force. According to reports, US government officials also said that North Korea’s launch is normal, and it does not regard this launch as a signal that North Korea has closed the door to negotiations. The US remains open to dialogue with North Korea. Sullivan, assistant to the US President for National Security Affairs, is scheduled to hold talks with South Korean and Japanese officials next week to discuss the North Korean issue.

After combing, we found that since March 2021, there have been "several confrontations" between the DPRK and the United States, which has also made everyone very concerned about the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the future direction of DPRK-US relations.

[March 14] US official: Biden’s government tried to contact North Korea but received no response.

On 14th, Reuters quoted a senior official of the US government as saying that Biden’s government had tried to contact the DPRK privately through various dialogue channels since mid-February, but it never got a response from the DPRK. The official said that including the Trump administration, although the US has carried out work many times, substantive consultations with North Korea have been interrupted for more than a year. This is the first news of direct work on North Korea since the Biden administration took office in January. According to sources, the Biden administration has been conducting an inter-departmental evaluation of its policy toward the DPRK. After the evaluation is completed, the results will be made public in the coming weeks.

[March 15] North Korea condemns South Korea and the United States for holding joint military exercises.

According to Korean Central News Agency’s report on March 16th, Jin Yuzheng, vice-minister of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, strongly criticized South Korea and the United States for holding joint military exercises on March 15th, and said that the DPRK would take retaliatory actions as appropriate. Jin Yuzheng said that if the ROK continues to take hostile actions of denying dialogue, the DPRK will not engage in any form of cooperation and exchanges with the ROK. Jin Yuzheng also warned the new US administration not to act blindly and create trouble.

[March 15] Han said that he had communicated with the United States in advance about the US attempt to contact North Korea.

On 15th, Yonhap News Agency quoted a spokesman of South Korea’s Unification Ministry as saying that in response to the media report that "the United States tried to contact North Korea last month but didn’t get a reply", the diplomatic departments of South Korea and the United States held consultations in advance, and the two sides kept close communication and cooperation in the process of re-discussing their policies toward North Korea. A spokesman for the South Korean Unification Ministry said that in the process of discussing the US policy toward the DPRK, the South Korean government also had the opportunity to put forward opinions and negotiate with the United States, and the relevant position of the South Korean Unification Ministry was also conveyed through this opportunity. In addition, regarding the DPRK’s failure to express its position on the joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States this month, a spokesman for the South Korean Unification Ministry said that the ROK hopes that the DPRK will show a flexible and wise attitude and respect the ROK’s efforts to solve various problems surrounding the joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States.

[March 16] The commander of the US military warned that North Korea may start testing new intercontinental ballistic missiles.

According to Reuters, Van Heck, commander of the US Northern Command, told the Armed Services Committee of the US Senate on March 16 that Pyongyang’s intercontinental ballistic missiles with "larger scale and better capability" further increased the threat to the United States. Reuters reported that Van Heck’s warning appeared to be based on North Korea’s display of its largest intercontinental ballistic missile to date in a military parade last October.

Van Heck, commander of the US Northern Command: "In the public military parade on October 10 (last year), we saw (North Korea) enhanced capabilities and increased missiles. Now they have three missiles, and I estimate that they can attack our homeland."

[March 17th] North Korea indicated that it has no intention of engaging in any kind of contact with the United States.

According to a report by Korean Central News Agency on March 18th, Choe Sang-hee, the first deputy foreign minister of the DPRK, said on the 17th that as long as the United States does not cancel its hostile policy towards the DPRK, the DPRK will not engage in any form of contact and dialogue with the United States, and it will continue to ignore the United States’ willingness to contact the DPRK.

Cui Shanji said that since mid-February, the United States has tried to contact North Korea through various channels. Recently, the United States also expressed its hope to engage with North Korea. Cui Shanji said that only by creating an atmosphere of talking on an equal footing can dialogue be realized.

[March 19] North Korea announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Malaysia.

According to Korean Central News Agency’s report on the 19th, the DPRK Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the same day, saying that the DPRK decided to terminate its diplomatic relations with Malaysia because Malaysia decided to forcibly extradite a DPRK citizen to the United States a few days ago.

The statement said that the North Korean citizen has been engaged in legal foreign trade activities for many years, and Malaysia called it an absurd fabrication and trick to engage in some activities related to "illegal money laundering". Malaysian authorities regarded this innocent North Korean citizen as a "criminal" on the 17th and forcibly extradited him to the United States, which was an extremely large hostile act against North Korea by surrendering to American power and could not be tolerated.

The statement said that the Malaysian authorities’ move undermined the foundation of mutual respect for sovereignty in bilateral relations. In view of the serious situation of the situation, the DPRK Foreign Ministry announced the complete severance of diplomatic relations with Malaysia. The statement concluded that from now on, the Malaysian authorities will take full responsibility for any consequences that may occur between the two sides. The statement also warned that the United States, as the black hand behind this incident, will also pay the price.

[March 21st] North Korean embassy staff leave Malaysia.

On the morning of March 21st, Kim Yu-song, the charge d ‘affaires of the DPRK Embassy in Malaysia, issued a statement to the media before leaving the embassy, saying that Malaysia’s extradition of a Korean citizen to the United States undermined the foundation of the relations between the two countries, which was a hostile act against the DPRK and an infringement on its sovereignty and right to survival and development. Jin Yusong reiterated the position of the DPRK Foreign Ministry and said that Malaysia should bear all the consequences of breaking off diplomatic relations.