BRACING FOR NORTH KOREA’S NEXT SALVO: South Korean officials are warning that North Korea may conduct another test of its newest intercontinental ballistic missile in the next 24 to 48 hours, to correspond with its Founder’s Day. The missile was tracked as it moved at night to what is believed to be its firing location. Pyongyang conducted two tests of its new Hwasong-14 ICBM in July, a missile that appears to have the range to hit much of the U.S. mainland. The test would come within days of Sunday’s sixth, and most powerful nuclear test yet, which North Korea claims was a hydrogen bomb with a yield of more than 100 kilotons.
‘GOING THE ROUTE OF THE MILITARY’: At a White House news conference yesterday, President Trump continued to insist that the use of force is still an option, but said it “would be great if something else could be worked out.” The president said there is still time for North Korea to come around. “Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing is inevitable.” Trump said. “So I would prefer not going the route of the military, but it’s something certainly that could happen.” Trump added that the U.S. military has never been stronger thanks to tens of billions of dollars of “new and beautiful equipment, the best in the world, the best anywhere in the world. Hopefully we’re not going to have to use it on North Korea. If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea.”
