Hours after President Barack Obama discussed deterring North Korean aggression with Japan’s and South Korea’s presidents, North Korea appeared to launch a missile into the sea, Reuters reported. North Korea has actively attempted to showcase its nuclear ambition recently, purportedly detonating its first thermonuclear weapon in January and conducting a nuclear missile test March 17. The three leaders met on March 31 as they and leaders from more than 50 other countries and international organizations gathered in Washington, D.C., for the fourth and final planned Nuclear Security Summit to discuss how to prevent nuclear proliferation. “It’s not surprising that one of the topics most on our minds is the issue of North Korea,” Obama said after the trilateral meeting. “And we are united in our efforts to deter and defend against North Korean provocations.” Obama also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 31. “Of great importance to both of us is North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, which threatens the security and stability of the region,” he said before that meeting. The United States and China, as well as a number of other? countries, issued separate joint statements last week affirming their plans to continue working together on nuclear security after the final summit ends. (See also: Tensions Flare on the Korean Peninsula.)
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
