North Korea delays plan to fire missiles toward Guam

By Alex Jensen

SEOUL

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will watch the United States "a little more" before deciding whether to execute a plan to fire ballistic missiles towards Guam, the North's state-run media said Tuesday.

Pyongyang unveiled its strategy to strike close to the Pacific island of Guam -- home to 7,000 American troops and key military hardware -- and said Kim would be briefed by mid-August.

The reclusive nation is now waiting to see what Washington does.

"In order to defuse the tensions and prevent the dangerous military conflict on the Korean Peninsula, it is necessary for the U.S. to make a proper option first and show it through action," Kim was quoted as saying by KCNA news agency.

North Korea has been demanding an end to perceived American aggression in the region, including joint military drills with South Korea planned for this month. On the other hand, the U.S. insists Pyongyang's denuclearization is vital for any peaceful solution.

While Kim apparently made his latest public comments a day earlier during a military inspection of the unit that would fire missiles towards Guam, his quotes were released as U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis repeated Washington's warning that the U.S. is ready for war if necessary.