What Happened The U.S.-North Korea dynamic is returning to a potentially confrontational phase . Following an end-of-year party plenary meeting, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un announced his country will no longer abide by its self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing . Kim cited the continued U.S. imposition of unilateral sanctions on the North and sale of advanced weapons to South Korea as the cause, as well as U.S.-South Korea military exercises, which he said have been held in violation of personal promises from U.S. President Donald Trump. In response to this alleged U.S. intransigence, Kim warned that the world "will witness a new strategic weapon" in the near future, signaling a potential long-range missile or even nuclear test. An ostensibly civilian satellite launch that showcases North Korea's ICBM-related technology is also possible. In his announcement, Kim acknowledged that U.S.