USS Ronald Reagan may have precipitated N. Korean 'tantrum': Seventh Fleet Commander

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (Yonhap) -- The recent naval exercise of South Korea and the United States involving a U.S. aircraft carrier might have somewhat caused North Korea's recent provocations, the commander of U.S. Seventh Fleet said Friday.

Vice Adm. Karl Thomas also said the North's recent missile launches certainly are a concern, but not one that he will prioritize over other bigger issues in the Indo-Pacific region.

"They are on a little campaign right now of launching ballistic missiles and short range ones, and it certainly has all of our attention, U.S. Forces Korea's as well as mine, and actually it's a concern," the commander said in a seminar hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank.

North Korea began staging its recent series of ballistic missile launches on Sept. 25 (Seoul time), two days after USS Ronald Reagan arrived in South Korea for a joint naval exercise and one day before the four-day joint naval exercise began.

Pyongyang has since staged seven additional missile tests.

"I think that what you saw was after many years of not operating in the Sea of Japan and visiting South Korea for a couple of reasons ... us being in that area, I think, probably precipitated a little bit of his tantrum," Thomas said, apparently referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the recent North Korean provocations.

North Korea has claimed that the joint military drills between Seoul and Washington had prompted its own military exercises that it said lasted from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9, blaming the allies for its recent missile tests.

Both Seoul and Washington have rejected the North's argument, saying their joint exercises are strictly defensive in nature.

"We reject the notion that our defensive actions to respond to the DPRK threats justifies their escalatory and unlawful behavior," a state department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency earlier, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Vice Adm. Thomas said the Seventh Fleet has enough resources to address the concern caused by North Korea, but that he may have other more important priorities.

"As far as taking away resources, we always have resources available for us," he said when asked if the North's recent provocations had required additional attention and resources.

"It's a concern but not one that I'm going to prioritize over my bigger concern there," he added.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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