N. Korea signals defiance / KBS 2025.10.29.　#KBSNews

North Korea revealed the launch of a cruise missile just before President Trump’s visit to South Korea.

There are interpretations that this indicates a refusal to engage in dialogue.

Reporter Jang Hyuk-jin analyzes North Korea’s intentions in ignoring Trump’s overtures.

[Report]

The missile soars into the sky, spewing flames.

This is a photo released by North Korea claiming to have launched a strategic cruise missile from the West Sea.

It is presumed to be from the ‘Hwasal’ series, which was unveiled at a weapons exhibition in Pyongyang earlier this month, and is known to have a maximum range of about 2,000 km.

Our military detected the launch around 3 PM yesterday (10.28), coinciding with the time when the leaders of the U.S. and Japan were touring the aircraft carrier ‘USS George Washington,’ and considering the estimated range, Japan falls within its reach.

North Korea stated that this launch is a “significant achievement in the practicalization of nuclear power,” while consistently remaining silent on President Trump’s repeated offers for dialogue, emphasizing the “strengthening of nuclear power.”

President Trump expressed a desire to meet with Chairman Kim on his plane to South Korea and stated that the missile launch itself is not a major concern.

[Donald Trump/U.S. President: “He’s been launching missiles for decades. But we’ll come back and we’ll at some point in the not too distant future meet with North Korea.”]

The remarks were interpreted as a signal that he would reconsider the timing of a possible meeting after APEC, but a few hours later, during talks with President Lee, Trump officially confirmed that the meeting would not take place.

For North Korea — which continues to advance its nuclear capabilities and strengthen ties with China and Russia — dialogue with the United States is not an immediate priority. Instead, it appears focused on deepening its traditional alliances with Beijing and Moscow.

[Lim Eul-chul/Professor, Institute for Far Eastern Studies, Kyungnam University: “North Korea likely believes that reinforcing its traditional, ‘blood alliance’ relationships will help strengthen its leverage in future negotiations with the U.S.”]

Although President Trump extended multiple overtures, even hinting at easing sanctions, he failed to elicit a response from Pyongyang. Still, with silence carrying its own political cost, North Korea is expected to carefully weigh the timing and conditions for any potential meeting going forward.

This is KBS News, Jang Hyuk-jin.

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