By Kang Ji-Hyun
The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan may discuss possible military options against North Korea when they meet Thursday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York, analysts said Sunday.
The joint summit will take place as North Korea has ignored all international sanctions against its nuclear and missile provocations since July 6 when President Moon Jae-in last met U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Germany while attending the G20 summit.
They had vowed to put maximum pressure on the North to bring it back to dialogue for denuclearization, only to see Pyongyang carrying out its sixth nuclear test and a series of ballistic missile launches afterwards.
Trump said that the U.S. options in addressing North Korea's threat are "both effective and overwhelming" during a speech, hours after Pyongyang's launch of a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), Friday.
During a phone call with Moon, Sunday, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to the Seoul-Washington alliance and promised to give the "support and cooperation" that are needed to bolster their joint defense posture.
"The two leaders agreed to further strengthen close cooperation between South Korea and the United States, and put more practical pressure on North Korea based on this," presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said.
Abe apparently remained skeptical over Moon's dovish gestures to the Kim Jong-un regime and his approval of donating $8 million to the U.N. to help the impoverished state.
Abe asked Moon to consider the timing of the humanitarian aid, which was decided hours after the Hwasong-12 IRBM test.
This suggests Moon will be tasked with convincing Trump and Abe to use military action, if necessary, as minimal as possible, according to experts.
"The three allies may discuss possible military options if the U.N. General Assembly only comes up with abstract ideas in resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis during its session this week," said An Chan-il, the head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies.
He pointed out that Pyongyang has been ratcheting up its nuclear program despite the UNSC's two latest round of sanctions approved in August and Sept. 11.
He said deploying U.S. strategic assets such as heavy bombers from Japan to South Korea can be one of the military options.
Kim Hyun-wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, speculated that the U.S. may consider installing a second Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea despite China's much-anticipated opposition.
"The sixth nuclear test and the Hwasong-12 test give room for the U.S. to set up another THAAD battery although Beijing is already infuriated over the first battery being operational," Kim said.
Some diplomatic sources speculated that re-deploying U.S. tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula can still be considered although some Department of State officials said it would be difficult for the time being.
They were against the possible bombing of North Korean artillery and weapons on the demilitarized zone using F-35 fighter jets as suggested by some U.S. officials during a CNN interview.
"It will only lead to a war, which will only worsen the security on the Korean Peninsula," An said.
Meanwhile, Moon will embark on a trip to the U.N. from Monday to Friday.
This will be Moon's U.N. debut after taking office in May.
He is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech, Thursday, and hold a series of one-on-one talks with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and various heads of state.
He said dialogue with Pyongyang does not appear to be possible following the Hwasong-12 test. But political sources said he may still underscore the need for diplomatic methods in North Korea policy in his speech.
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