Acting US secretary of defence contradicts Trump over North Korean missile test

Nicola Smith
North Korea resumed missile tests in early May - KCNA via KNS
North Korea resumed missile tests in early May - KCNA via KNS

Acting US Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan has called North Korea’s recent short-range missile tests a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, becoming the latest senior official to contradict comments made by President Donald Trump.

“Let me just be clear: these were short range missiles. Those are a violation of the UNSCR,” Mr Shanahan told reporters while travelling to the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, reported CNN.

His view is publicly at odds with President Trump who downplayed this month’s missile tests at a press conference in Tokyo on Monday as simply an attempt by Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, to “get attention.”

“My people think it could have been a violation,” said Mr Trump. “I view it differently,” stressing that North Korea had not carried out any nuclear or long-range tests.

Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan says the missile test violated UN resolutions - Credit: Will Newton/AP
Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan says the missile test violated UN resolutions Credit: Will Newton/AP

"North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me," he also said in a Tweet ahead of his four-day summit with Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister.

The “strike drill” in early May which tested multiple rocket launchers, tactical guided weapons and short-range ballistic missiles for the first time in over a year has divided both the Trump administration and the international community in its response.

Last weekend John Bolton, Mr Trump’s hawkish national security adviser, said that there was “no doubt” that Pyongyang had violated UN resolutions.

His view was supported by Prime Minister Abe who, despite a general show of unity on North Korea with President Trump, on Monday denounced the launches as “very regrettable.”

Meanwhile South Korea, whose President Moon Jae-in appears to share Mr Trump’s desire to de-escalate tensions with North Korea and reignite stalled negotiations over its nuclear weapons and missiles programmes, has refrained from labelling the tests as a breach of UN agreements.

Japan's Prime Minister Abe believes the test was a violation but President Trump does not - Credit: Kiyoshi Ota/REX
Japan's Prime Minister Abe believes the test was a violation but President Trump does not Credit: Kiyoshi Ota/REX

North Korea analysts believe that the resumption of weapons tests is an indication that Kim is losing patience but that the window for negotiations is not yet closed.

Last month Kim issued a year-end ultimatum to resolve differences with the US over nuclear disarmament after his direct talks with President Trump at a summit in Hanoi in February did not produce a deal.

However, Pyongyang has not concealed its frustration that talks are deadlocked and crushing international sanctions are still in place.

North Korea on Wednesday accused the US of showing bad faith and conducting nuclear and missile tests and military drills as part of an “evil ambition” to conquer the country by force.

In the latest outburst of angry rhetoric since the failed Hanoi summit, a Foreign Ministry statement lashed out at the US seizure of one of its biggest cargo ships for a sanctions breach, reported Reuters.

It also launched fresh attacks on Mr Bolton and Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, accusing them of having “insulted the dignity of our supreme leadership and spitted out abusive language,” by calling North Korea a “rogue regime.”