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Experts: Muted US Criticism of North Korea's Missile Tests Emboldens Its
Weapons Program

Christy Lee

   Baik Sung-won and Kim dong-hyun contributed to this report.

   WASHINGTON -- Muted U.S. criticism of North Korea's missile tests is
   encouraging Pyongyang to escalate its weapons program, undermining
   Washington's own diplomatic efforts aimed at denuclearization, experts
   have told VOA in recent days.

   "Trump's casual dismissal of seven rounds of [North Korean leader] Kim
   Jong Un's ballistic missile tests [since late July] is an inexcusable
   act that, in effect, is viewed by Kim as license to continue to pursue
   his weapons of mass destruction programs," Robert Manning, a senior
   fellow at the Atlantic Council, told VOA by email Thursday.

   North Korea has conducted [1]nine missile launches since May, following
   the [2]breakdown of the Hanoi Summit in February, where Kim failed to
   secure sanctions relief from U.S. President Donald Trump. Talks between
   Pyongyang and Washington have been at standstill since then.

References

   1. https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/north-korea-tests-more-missiles-violating-pledge-trump
   2. https://www.voanews.com/usa/trump-kim-summit-ends-no-agreement

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