In recent weeks, concerns have mounted that a North Korean provocation near the Northern Limit Line was possible, especially in the run-up to the US and South Korean elections. Now, with the U.S. allowing South Korea to develop missiles with greater range and payload, attention seems likely to shift to how North Korea reacts to the new missile limits. Could another missile test be in the works?

For their part, the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a statement, a day after the powerful National Defense Commission spoke out. As was done in the NDC statement, the MFA claims that the Korean People’s Army “is keeping within the scope of strike not only the U.S. military bases in south Korea and its vicinity but also the U.S. mainland.”