Kim Jong Un’s Ugly Christmas Surprise: A Return to Threats of War
SEOUL—North Korea appears to have tested an engine capable of propelling an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a nuclear warhead to a distant target—that is, an American target.
The move comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un mingles action with a return to insulting rhetoric and a hardened negotiating posture to get the U.S. to agree to his terms by the fast-approaching end of the year.
North Korea’s state media said Sunday the test had been “very important” and there is little reason to doubt that as Kim ratchets up the pressure.