Tillerson heads to Asia with North Korea tensions high

In recent months, the North has carried out several missile tests from various locations around the country.

South Korean and USA troops began the large-scale joint drills, which are billed as defensive in nature, on March 1.

North Korea missile expert John Schilling, a contributor to the US monitoring group 38 North, said any future South Korean leader would have a hard time objecting to THAAD if it meant jeopardizing the alliance with the United States.

But the political turmoil in South Korea that forced out President Park may usher in a government that seeks reconciliation rather than confrontation with North Korea and opposes the installation of the U.S.’s Thaad missile defense system, which is under way and has brought protests from both Pyongyang and Beijing.

But the announcement comes just one week after Pyongyang launched four ballistic missiles in its latest provocative test.

The US has announced its intention of permanently deploying a company of Grey Eagle drones capable of firing Hellfire Missiles, to South Korea, along the border with North Korea. It will be deployed to a USA military base in the southwestern town of Gunsan to strengthen strike capabilities against ground targets in the North, the official told Yonhap. Recognizing that a transition in Washington was about to take place, the North Koreans signaled they would take a “wait and see” attitude towards a new administration. “We have no choice but to recognize Kim Jong Un as a counterpart, whether we put pressure and impose sanctions on North Korea or hold dialogue”, Moon said. Would the Trump administration go there?

Yet a decapitation force would fit with a March 1 Wall Street Journal report that the White House is considering military action against the Kim regime.

The North conducted two nuclear tests and 24 ballistic missile tests previous year, deepening concern in Washington that it could soon develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the US mainland.

With the impeachment and removal of President Park Geun-hye, the next president, to be elected in May, will likely take a much softer approach to North Korea.

“Lotte, leave China! Boycott Korean goods!” On the one hand, China has voiced opposition to North Korea’s missile tests, and suspended coal imports from the North under a United Nations Security Council resolution.

Together, we’ve gone far. He would need to brace for extended losses from the boycott in any case, but a leader with his enormous democratic mandate, following the ouster of President Park, would certainly command Xi’s attention. Indeed, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is already pushing ahead with THAAD deployment in Japan. South Korean officials have claimed Kim Jong Un himself ordered the killing of his eldest brother.

The US Navy says the two-day drills are aimed at improving the capability to shoot down enemy ballistic missiles.

The reemergence of Cold War-like security blocs in Northeast Asia would only exacerbate regional hostilities.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to make his first visit to South Korea on Friday.

“I think he’s here basically to show the flag, demonstrate to the allies in the region that America has their back and try to lobby China to intervene in ways that would be helpful in getting Pyongyang to ratchet down its nuclear testing program”, he said.