SEOUL: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un awaits the winner of next week’s U.S. presidential election armed with greater leverage in their high-stakes nuclear diplomacy thanks to a more powerful and versatile arsenal of weapons than at the start of the Trump presidency.
Following are key moments in U.S.-North Korea relations since Donald Trump came to office in January 2017.
2017
July 4
North Korea test-fires the Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
July 28
North Korea conducts another Hwasong-14 ICBM test
Aug. 8
Trump warns North Korea might face “fire and fury”
Aug. 29
North Korea fires Hwasong-12 intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM)
Sept. 3
North Korea carries out its sixth nuclear test, claiming to have mastered hydrogen bomb technology
Sept. 14
North Korea fires a Hwasong-12 IRBM
Sept. 19
Trump threatens to “totally destroy” North Korea
Sept. 21
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called Trump as a “mentally deranged U.S. dotard”
Sept. 23
U.S. B-1B bomber flies over the Korean Demilitarized Zone
Nov. 29
North Korea test-fires Hwasong-15 ICBM, capable of reaching the entire United States, and declares it has become a nuclear power
2018
Feb. 25
North Korean official Kim Yong Chol expresses willingness for U.S. talks while visiting South Korea for the Winter Olympics
March 8
South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s envoy delivers Kim’s invitation for Trump to visit North Korea; Trump agrees to meet Kim
May 10
Trump announces a June 12 summit with Kim in Singapore
June 12
Kim, Trump hold first summit in Singapore, agreeing to denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula in exchange for U.S. security guarantees
June 19
South Korea, U.S. announce suspension of joint military exercises
July 27
North Korea returns remains of 55 U.S. soldiers
Sept. 9
North Korea displays ICBMs at military parade
Sept. 10
White House unveils Kim’s proposal for second summit
Nov. 16
Kim guides test of “cutting-edge tactical weapon”
2019
Jan. 1
Kim says he’s ready to meet Trump but warns of taking new path
Feb. 28
Trump and Kim end their second summit in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi without an agreement due to differences over demands by Pyongyang for sanctions relief and by Washington for North Korea to abandon nuclear weapons.
May 4
Kim supervises tests of rockets and a new short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) in first such tests since the November 2017 ICBM launch
May 9
North Korea fires two KN-23 SRBMs
May 10
Trump said he did not consider the North’s missile tests “breach of trust,” calling it “standard stuff”
June 30
Trump and Kim meet for the third time in DMZ on the Korean peninsula
July 23
Kim inspects a large, new submarine, possibly designed for submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM)
July 25, 31
North Korea launches KN-23 SRBMs
Aug. 2
North Korea fires two more KN-23 SRBMs; Trump says the tests do not violate his agreement with Kim
Aug. 6, 10, 16
North Korea fires more KN-23 and tactical missiles
Aug. 24
Kim oversees the test of a new “super-large” multiple launch rocket system (MLRS)
Sept. 10
North Korea tests “super-large” MLRS
Oct. 2
North Korea test-fires new Pukguksong-3 SLBMs
Oct. 21
Trump says Kim and he get along well and “like” and “respect” each other
Oct. 31
North Korea tests the “super-large” MLRS
Dec. 3
North Korea says it is up to U.S. to decide what “Christmas gift” it wants
2020
Jan. 1
Kim vows to further develop nuclear programmes and introduce a “new strategic weapon”
March 3, 9, 14
North Korea tests MLRS and short-range missiles
March 21
Kim supervises test of new tactical guided weapon; Trump sends letter to Kim offering help on the new coronavirus
March 29
North Korea tests “super-large” MLRS
Oct. 3
Kim sends a get-well message to Trump who tested positive for COVID-19
Oct. 10
North Korea unveils a new ICBM and SLBM at military parade
Oct. 22
Trump says he has a very good relationship with Kim and stopped war; Biden likens Kim to Nazi Germany’s Adolf Hitler and calls him a “thug”
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