Image by Don Jackson-Wyatt from Unsplash
A United States military base located in South Korea sounded off an alarm instead of a bugle call, frightening U.S military officials, and very likely alarming allies that are closely monitoring the actions of North Korea, which has recently warned the U.S. that Seoul would be sending a “Christmas gift” to the U.S. due to staggering nuclear negotiations.
Around 10 p.m. on Thursday 02 DEC, an emergency alarm was accidentally set off at Camp Casey, which is a U.S. base located near the North Korean border. The alarm sound was heard instead of the usual ceremonial playing of “taps” — the bugle call which is normally played at the end of the day on military bases.
Camp Casey is a U.S. base located in close proximity to the Demilitarized Zone that exists between North and South Korea.
According to a statement issued by 2nd Infantry Division, public affairs officer LTC Martyn Crighton, the mistake was made “due to human error.”
Despite the continued efforts of President Donald Trump to conduct amicable diplomatic relations with North Korea, the relationship the the U.S. and North Korea still seems rather tenuous and unsteady.
According to CNN’s close North Korean source, the “Christmas Gift” North Korea alludes to could involve removing the consideration of denuclearization off the table in negotiations between the countries. When asked about the “gift” from North Korea, President Trump stated, “Let’s see what happens. I handle them [surprises] as they come along,”
U.S. officials are still of the strong belief that the window for continued missile testing as a form of aggression is still a legitimate and actionable possibility at least up until Kim Jong Un’s birthday in early January.