A message to “attract attention, to remind the world that it is still a threat to Japan and South Korea” and, above all, to urge the United States to “negotiate”. Axel Berkofsky, professor at the University of Pavia, co-head of the Asia Center of ISPI, said this to Adnkronos, commenting on the news – spread from Seoul and Tokyo – of the launch of at least one ballistic missile by North Korea towards the Sea of Japan.
North Korea is “a country that has nothing else to offer, has no economic and political means to put pressure on anyone” and for this it uses its “military arsenal”, underlines the expert, according to which behind the last launch missile there may also be internal issues. “It could be a way to contain those who accuse the regime of being too weak” and thus be a “message for the internal public,” he explains.
Berkofsky doesn’t seem to believe Beijing’s calls for restraint after the launch. “China is the country that, together with Russia, has violated sanctions, trafficking in arms and supporting the Pyongyang regime. His message is a little laugh – continues the expert – China is not a sincere actor” and that that is happening somehow suits Beijing because “it makes the unification scenario very unlikely: the territorial status quo is good for China”.
The situation in North Korea seems increasingly dramatic, with the United Nations which in recent days has warned of the risk that the most vulnerable people, especially young and old, could die of hunger. “Kim Jong Un also admitted that the situation is serious and it is not the first time that there have been famines. The key actor is China, which if it stops aid would cause the collapse of the regime in less than a month – concludes Berkofsky – Of course. it is paradoxical and absurd that on the one hand there is the risk of famine and on the other hand ballistic missiles are launched “.
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