Korea dominates world news as ‘Day of the Sun’ approaches

Regional tensions in the East China Sea have the potential to mushroom into a wider Asia Pacific conflict as the world press focuses on North Korea over the weekend.

The alarm comes as North Korea celebrates 50 years since founding father Kim II Sung created the nation. Known nationally as ‘Day of the Sun’, celebrations traditionally include the launch of test missiles, usually into the Sea of Japan.

Japan claims such missiles might be armed with chemical weapons including sarin gas; as it joins with US allies to apply pressure on the threat across its waters, reports CNN.

US President Donald Trump looks poised to react to such missile tests with possible strikes against missile installations in North Korea, which in turn could provoke Pyongyang into strikes against the US, reports Reuters.

Such a strike would embroil US allies Japan, South Korea and potentially Australia into a conflict with Kim Jong-un’s communist regime, leaving China to mop up the fall out and try to broker a peaceful resolution.

China’s ability to step in and solve the problem quickly might not be as easy as Trump thinks, due to historical ties, according to the Washington Post.