1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: North Korea does have a habit of timing it's provocations 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: to political events, and as you mentioned, they did fire 3 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: a short range ballistic missile. The launch on Sunday the 4 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: first since the shooting of its single day record of 5 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: eight at the start of June. Joining US as John 6 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: huskevitt S, Bloomberg East Asia Government Editor tell us, I 7 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: guess the significance of this, John Well, I think that 8 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: we're in North Korea signally that it's going to be 9 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 1: returning to provocations. They've been on a bit of a 10 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: hiatus for a few months. They battled flooding typhoons, and 11 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 1: they're looking to it looks like they're looking to resume 12 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,200 Speaker 1: tests of missiles. They could be preparing for a test 13 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: of a submarine launched ballistic missile. There's some satellite images 14 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:45,520 Speaker 1: that show activity near submarine center and for months North 15 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 1: Korea has been preparing it's a nuclear test site. The US, Japan, 16 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: South Korea all say that they see a nuclear test 17 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: in the works, and we could be seeing that coming 18 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: soon as soon as well as well. And is what's 19 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 1: happening in Russia? The war in Ukraine? Is that providing 20 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 1: somewhat of an opening here for Pyongyang to to ramp 21 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: up it's testing very much though, UM the the with 22 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: the U S attention occupied with Russia's war in Ukraine 23 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: North Korea season opening, and they also have some cover 24 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 1: at the U N Security Council, which would be responsible 25 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: for hitting North Korea with sanctions for additional testing, whether 26 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: it's ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons. UM In may Russia 27 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: and China sider with North Korea when it came to 28 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: a vote on sanctions, and if there was another test coming, 29 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: we probably wouldn't see either North Korea or Russia joining 30 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: the US. In UH joining the US and imposing greater 31 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: sanctions in North Korea. They could use their veto power 32 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: to keep the pressure on Kim Jong relatively light as 33 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: the Russia is battling the US in terms of politics 34 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: with the war in Ukraine. Yeah, so always the threat 35 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: of more sanctions. What though, has been the initial reaction 36 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: that we've seen from the US and the Indo Pacific Command. 37 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:09,920 Speaker 1: The end of Pacific Command has given a statement which 38 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: is very similar to the statements is given for all 39 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: of North Korea's missile tests over the past few years. 40 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: They say that it's um it's it clear. They say 41 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: that it's a great concern and it has a destabilizing 42 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 1: impact on the region. Um. This is the type of 43 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: response have been given that they've given for a number 44 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: of the tests. But this test also comes as the 45 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: US aircraft carrier, the Ronald Reagan Group is in the 46 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: South Korean port of Poussan for drills center likely to 47 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: start in a few days. UM. It will be the 48 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: first time this carrier group has had drules in five years. 49 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: With South Korea and North Korea really bristles at these 50 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: joint military activities for years. They've called him a prelude 51 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: to an innovasion in nuclear war, and they like to 52 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: show their dissatisfaction with what's going on. So this also 53 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,679 Speaker 1: may be a factor for the missile launch over the weekend. Yeah, 54 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: in deed, and I guess we have to wonder what 55 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: is next because Yon Hop the South Korea news agency 56 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: reporting that South Korea's military has spotted some activities in 57 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: terms of some submarine launched missiles too. Yeah, those would 58 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: be a little bit of an escalation of what has 59 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: been going on. So will was launched over the weekend 60 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: was a short range ballistic missile, the sub rein launched 61 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 1: ballistic missiles UM are two stage missiles for the most part, 62 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: so they have a greater range than North Korea has 63 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: various types of missiles, but the ones that they're looking 64 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: to test and they've shown a military rage is something 65 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: called the pool guok Song. This is UM, a two 66 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: stage rocket. It's designed to be deployed quickly. It can 67 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: be shot off of the submarine, it can be shot 68 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: from land, and the range is long enough to hit 69 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: Japan and also perhaps US military basis in Guam. Alright, 70 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: and more gio political tensions ahead, John, Thank you. John 71 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: Hosgwitz is Bloomberg East Asia Government editor with us from Tokyo.