The NYT says North Korea’s missile launch will give more weight to hard liners in Korea, the US, and Japan. It predicts the Korean government’s North Korean policy will lose steam, saying Seoul’s assistance policy, which has raised eyebrows between US hawks, can not be maintained any more. Seoul is put at an awkward position since it had continued underestimating North Korea’s missile threats but the North actually fired!

The paper assumes the incident can bring changes in US North Korean policy as well because US hardliners can definitely get more say in the policy toward Pyongyang. The US is expected to encourage South Korea and China to join in its hawkish policy that prefers sanctions on the regime.

The paper says the missile launch, in itself, is a serious challenge to the US but consequently it might help the US get what it wanted: the failure of Taepodong 2 raises a doubt on North Korea’s capability to develop advanced missiles; Kim Jung-il angered his only ally, China. It points out it is obvious the incident infuriates China, but whether China is going to participate in sanctions is not clear. The missile launch also further encourages Japanese hawks to press its government to enhance the country’s security alliance with the US especially in missile defense.