How would a US attack on Venezuela affect North Korea?
Some analysts believe Washington’s move could also strengthen Pyongyang’s reliance on nuclear weapons.
The North Korean missile test came ahead of a summit between the leaders of South Korea and China scheduled for Monday in Beijing, where North Korea is expected to be on the agenda as Seoul seeks a more active role for Beijing in Pyongyang’s nuclear disarmament.
The missiles were fired from an area near Pyongyang on Sunday and flew about 900 kilometers before landing in the East Sea, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
Analysts say the timing of the move was carefully calculated and came a day after the Trump administration launched a surprise military operation in Venezuela.
Leif Erik Easley, a professor of international studies at Ohio Woman’s University, said of the U.S. operation in Venezuela: “The Venezuela situation has unsettled the North Korean leader.”
In this regard, the Trump administration’s actions in Venezuela may further reinforce the North Korean leader’s assumption that giving up nuclear weapons could lead to a similar fate to that of Maduro.
Lim Yeol-chul, a professor at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, said that Maduro’s capture would likely reinforce Kim Jong-un’s belief that giving up nuclear weapons would be suicidal, making negotiations on denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula more difficult.
He added that it could also make North Korea’s behavior more unpredictable, as the regime might accelerate the development and widespread deployment of tactical nuclear weapons and guided missiles.
Observers also linked Pyongyang’s reaction to its long-standing relationship with Venezuela, a country it considers a friend. North Korea and Venezuela established diplomatic relations in 1974. Their ties have deepened under Kim Jong-un, with North Korea opening an embassy in Caracas in 2015 and Venezuela establishing an embassy in Pyongyang in 2019.
From Kim’s perspective, the latest incident is another example of the United States removing a foreign leader, following the overthrow of Saddam in Iraq and Muammar Gaddafi in Libya.
The latest missile launches appear to be aimed at underscoring North Korea’s self-proclaimed status as a “nuclear-weapon state,” and reflect Pyongyang’s concern that Washington could pursue a similar approach toward North Korea if nuclear talks fail.