There was a collective sigh of relief as the weekend passed without incident on the Korean Peninsula ¡ª except for a failed ballistic missile launch by North Korea. There have been fears that a clash between the United States and North Korea was imminent as Pyongyang marked an important anniversary and Washington showed growing impatience with governments that flout international rules. The risk of a crisis remains high, however, and all parties must redouble efforts to find a diplomatic way to ease the steadily rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
April 15 is a singular day in North Korea. It is ¡°the Day of the Sun,¡± the birthday of Kim Il Sung, founder of the modern North Korean state, who, 23 years after his death, remains the ¡°eternal president¡± of the country. The day is invariably marked by celebrations: Typically a choreographed military parade that shows the world Pyongyang¡¯s weapons, but frequently there is also some other event, such as a missile launch.
This year, there were fears that North Korea would hold its sixth nuclear weapon test on Saturday, a show of strength that would be even more provocative than usual. Observers have along anticipated such a test, believing it necessary for the weaponization of the country¡¯s nuclear program. Consistent with that argument, there have been signs of preparations at one of the country¡¯s nuclear test sites.
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