North Korea using a possible rocket launch as leverage in negotiations with the US would be catastrophic for global diplomacy, a South Korean presidential adviser has said.
By Hyung-Jin Kim, Associated Press
March 12 2019 7:57 AM
North Korea using a possible rocket launch as leverage in negotiations with the US would be catastrophic for global diplomacy, a South Korean presidential adviser has said.
US-based websites recently released satellite photographs indicating North Korea has restored structures at its long-range rocket launch facility that it dismantled last year at the start of diplomacy with the United States.
Other satellite images show increased vehicle activities at a separate North Korean facility used to manufacture missiles, and rockets for satellite launches.
Some experts say these suggest North Korea may be assembling a long-range rocket to carry out a banned satellite launch in the wake of last month’s North Korea-US summit in Hanoi that ended without any agreement.
Moon Chung-in, a retired university professor who is now a special adviser to President Moon Jae-in, told a panel discussion that North Korea using a rocket launch or other nuclear activities as leverage in negotiations would be a “bad move”.
Mr Moon said such a North Korean move could eventually cause a “catastrophic” consequence or a “big disaster” in the US-North Korea diplomacy. “I wonder if North Korea should avoid” such an action, Mr Moon said.
