Independence Day 2017 celebrations were partially overshadowed by an event few expected — North Korea’s first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile able to strike the United States.
As Americans made last-minute preparations for cookouts, fireworks and other holiday activities, North Korea was preparing a shocking demonstration destined to make headlines around the world. Under the watchful eyes of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, his troops successfully launched the North’s first ICBM on July 4, 2017.
That Tuesday afternoon, the North declared itself “a full-fledged nuclear power that has been possessed of the most powerful inter-continental ballistic rocket capable of hitting any part of the world.”
While this is clearly an exaggeration, expert observers estimated that the missile — known as the Hwasong-14 — had a range of at least 4,000 miles, enough to put Alaska in range. (RELATED: Kim Jong Un Claims Successful Test Of A North Korean ICBM That Can Strike The US)
WATCH: North Korea Tests Its First ICBM
“The United States strongly condemns North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile,” then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement. “Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world.”
The North would go on to test this missile again at the end of the month on July 28, 2017, this time demonstrating an ability to strike deep into the heart of the continental United States. And, exactly four months later, on Nov. 28, North Korea tested a new, more powerful ICBM — the Hwasong-15 — believed to be capable of raining devastation down on cities across the U.S.
These developments, coupled with escalating rhetoric and North Korea’s test of a purported hydrogen bomb in September 2017, created a sense of urgency, leaving Washington with few good options. The U.S. had tried to slow North Korea’s nuclear march through international pressure and sanctions, but the “maximum pressure” strategy failed to curb the North’s ambitions.
Kim opened the door to the possibility of diplomatic engagement in his 2018 New Year’s address, first with South Korea and then later with the U.S. At a historic summit in Singapore on June 12, President Donald Trump met Kim, marking the first time a sitting American president has met a North Korean leader for face-to-face negotiations. (RELATED: President Trump And Kim Jong Un Meet For The First Time At Singapore Summit)
WATCH: President Donald Trump Shakes Hands With Kim Jong Un
There have been no provocative ballistic missile tests in over seven months, and North Korea has dismantled, to an unknown extent, its Punggye-ri nuclear test site. Nonetheless, certain problems remain.
The agreement signed in Singapore, which vaguely states that North Korea will “work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” is now in question as reports surface that North Korea is not only not disarming, but boosting its weapons development programs. (RELATED: Perhaps Dashing Dreams Of Denuclearization, Kim Jong Un Moves To Advance His Weapons Development Programs)
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will make his third trip to Pyongyang Thursday to meet with North Korean leadership to discuss the next steps in the implementation of the Singapore agreement. The Trump administration remains committed to the pursuit of denuclearization while many observers, including U.S. intelligence agencies, do not believe Kim actually intends to forfeit his nuclear arsenal.
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