North Korea escalated its threats against the U.S. and South Korea this week, and officials in Seoul warned that the rogue state was preparing to test a new long-range Musudan missile. That rocket is thought to have a range of 2,100 miles, making it capable of hitting all of Japan as well as American military bases on Guam. To counter the threat, the Pentagon moved two missile-defense ships closer to the Korean Peninsula, and Adm. Sam Locklear told Congress that his forces would intercept any missiles launched toward the U.S. or its allies.
In a further provocation, North Korea closed down the Kaesong industrial park, a joint operation with South Korea that had provided hard cash for the impoverished country. Pyongyang then urged foreigners to evacuate South Korea, claiming the region was “inching close to a thermonuclear war.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
To understand why Kim is being so provocative, “go back to the murder of Muammar Qaddafi,” said Robert Baer in Time.com. The way the North Koreans look at it, the Libyan leader gave up his nukes under pressure from the U.S., which then proceeded to help the locals overthrow him. Qaddafi was then killed by a mob. By threatening to go nuclear, the North is sending America a clear message: Stay away.
It’s China, not the U.S., that Kim should be worried about, said Connor Simpson in TheAtlantic.com. Chinese President Xi Jinping this week said he would not allow the region to be thrown “into chaos for selfish gain.” Xi didn’t identify North Korea by name, but it’s clear to whom he was referring. China is the nation’s only backer. And “when your benefactor is this mad at you, and you’re broke, that can be problematic.”
-
August 23 editorial cartoonsCartoons Saturday's political cartoons include deficit dimness, steamroller-in-chief, and more
-
5 museum-grade cartoons about Trump's Smithsonian purgeCartoons Artists take on institutional rebranding, exhibit interpretation, and more
-
Settling the West Bank: a death knell for a Palestine state?In the Spotlight The reality on the ground is that the annexation of the West Bank is all but a done deal
-
The final fate of Flight 370feature Malaysian officials announced that radar data had proven that the missing Flight 370 “ended in the southern Indian Ocean.”
-
The airplane that vanished
feature The mystery deepened surrounding the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared one hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.
-
A drug kingpin’s capture
feature The world’s most wanted drug lord, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, was captured by Mexican marines in the resort town of Mazatlán.
-
A mixed verdict in Florida
feature The trial of Michael Dunn, a white Floridian who fatally shot an unarmed black teen, came to a contentious end.
-
New Christie allegation
feature Did a top aide to the New Jersey governor tie Hurricane Sandy relief funds to the approval of a development proposal in the city of Hoboken?
-
A deal is struck with Iran
feature The U.S. and five world powers finalized a temporary agreement to halt Iran’s nuclear program.
-
End-of-year quiz
feature Here are 40 questions to test your knowledge of the year’s events.
-
Note to readers
feature Welcome to a special year-end issue of The Week.