Tension is rising on the Korean Peninsula, as North Korea shows growing indications of another missile test despite President Moon Jae-in’s engagement approach of resuming inter-Korean talks and suspending cross-border hostilities.

According to reports by Agence France-Press and CNN, US officials said that if a test is carried out, it would be the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile or intermediate-range one. Liftoff would probably occur Thursday, the 64th anniversary of the signing of the armistice agreement that halted the Korean War, the officials added.

The development would put a damper on Moon’s call for an end to hostile military activities starting Thursday. The government had asked the North to answer the South’s call by Thursday, but the North has yet to respond.

“We have seen no response from North Korea” to President Moon’s proposal, said Baik Tae-hyun, spokesman of the Ministry of Unification. “There is no deadline for dialogue. Patiently, we will wait for the North’s response.” 

The spokesman added the there is also “no deadline” for Moon’s other proposal for dialogues, such as holding reunions of families separated by the Korean War and an inter-Korean military talk to reduce cross-border tensions. Moon laid out the proposals during his visit to Berlin in July.

The South Korean Red Cross asked North Korea to hold a meeting to discuss the family reunions on Aug. 1 at the truce village of Panmunjom. The government also asked the North to hold military talks on July 21, but after North Korea returned no response, said they would wait until Thursday.

The Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday that if North Korea does not respond to the proposal of holding military talks, the government would not pre-emptively suspend cross-border hostile activities, such as propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts that have unnerved North Korea’s leadership.

Despite the efforts, the prospect of resuming inter-Korean talks looks slim, analysts said, with the US demonstrating disapproval of Moon’s engagement approach and seeking to impose tough sanctions on Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear activities.

When asked about Moon’s proposal of holding military talks and suspending hostile activities, then White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that President Trump “has made clear in the past that any type of conditions that would have to be met are clearly far away from where we are now.”

On Tuesday, the US House of Representative passed a bill designed to choke off the money flow to North Korea’s missile and nuclear program. It also prohibits North Korean ships and goods produced by the North’s forced labor from entering the US.

“It’s very unlikely to see the two Koreas hold a military talk and a Red Cross talk,” said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute. “I don’t think there would be remarkable progress on Korean relations in the short term.”

Such a pessimistic view appears to be aggravated by growing concern over the North’s ICBM capability. According to the Washington Post, US officials recently concluded that North Korea would be able to field a reliable, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile as early as next year.

Before the ICBM test on July 4, the North was thought to be more than two years away from developing a missile that could carry a nuclear weapon small enough to fit into the missile’s warhead and that is capable of surviving the stress of re-entry.

“The apparent success of the July 4th test is an alarming development as North Korea accelerates its pursuit of being able to hold the United States at risk with nuclear weapons,” Rep. Mac Thornberry, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.

In a show of defiance, North Korea touted its nuclear capability as an “unprecedented pain in the neck” to its enemies and pledged to improve its missile and nuclear program despite mounting international pressure against the move.

“There are no sanctions and blockades that can work on us,” said state-run newspaper Rodong Shinmun in an editorial titled “We will bring final victory of July 27,” which North Korea celebrates as its “Victory Day” for the Korean War.

According to the newspaper, North Korea on Tuesday held a massive ceremony to showcase its firm readiness to fight the US. High-profile military officers from the (North) Korean People’s Army attended, including Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong-so.

(jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)