No Nuclear War Today: Kim Jong-un Walks Back Threat On Guam

After weeks of threats and posturing, North Korean leader  has pulled back on his threat to test fire ballistic missiles off the coast of the US Pacific territory of Guam. North Korea's official news organ, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), reported on Monday that Kim received a briefing that day about a plan to strike Guam. The week prior, North Korea threatened a missile test of four Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM) not far from Guam. If the "foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees" continued, Kim said, then he would make a "grave" decision to punish them. Therefore, Washington should "think rationally and make a precise decision to avoid humiliation." This was taken to mean that he would not launch the missiles unless provoked.