The United States will send a missile defense system to Guam in a defensive move against North Korea, according to Reuters. U.S. military officials are now preparing for what Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has deemed a “real and clear danger” from Pyongyang.
A few hours later, according to South Korean News agency Yonhap, North Korea made what seemed to be a counter move. The Koreans moved a mid-range Musadan missle to its east coast. According to a source in the South Korean government, it is not certain whether this is just another bellicose move from North Korea or if they actually plan to use the missile.
In addition to the repositioning of missiles, North Korea has also stopped South Koreans from entering an industrial complex that is used by people from both nations. The industrial complex is supposed to be a sign of peace between the two nations. With the rising tensions between the two nations, peace seems very far away.
According to Rob Ryan, a strategist for RBS in Singapore, tensions have risen to a critical point.
"The assumption remains that this is more bluster ...," he said. "But from here, we've reached a level of tensions that say things can't get too much worse without an actual exchange of fire."
"Some of the actions they've taken over the last few weeks present a real and clear danger," Defense Secretary Hagel said.
The Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea has repeatedly issued threats to fire missiles at the United States. According to KCNA, a North Korean English-language news outlet, the U.S. has received the DPRK’s latest threat. There is speculation surrounding how that threat was received since the Washington and Pyongyang have no diplomatic ties.
According to Caitlyn Hayden, spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, North Korea is only digging itself a deeper hole.
"It is yet another offering in a long line of provocative statements that only serve to further isolate North Korea from the rest of the international community and undermine its goal of economic development," she said.
