N. Korea's recent launches cited as example of 'gray-zone' tactics: Report

美전문가 "北 '회색지대' 전술에 대응할 美전략 확보돼야"Some experts raised the need for Washington to stay above the diplomatic tug-of-war with Pyeongyang.They suggest devising America's owned so-called "gray-zone" tactics.Kim Ji-yeon explains further. North Korea has been known for its multiple diplomatic tactics, including the use of belligerent or aggressive rhetoric, which has helped the regime command attention on the global stage without provoking an outright bilateral or multilateral military conflict. This is known as the "gray-zone" strategy, a geopolitical intersection between military confrontation and accommodation.And it's a skill that experts say has been used by North Korea for years to help achieve its goals in foreign affairs and maneuver the U.S.The U.S.-based international affairs magazine Foreign Policy in its contributing article spearheaded by adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, Kim Du-yeon... cited on its Tuesday report the series of test-firings of short-range projectiles and missiles that North Korea performed this month,... saying this is another example of gray-zone tactics used by the regime since Kim Jong-un seized power in 2011.The report also mentions that Pyeongyang's actions have posed a dilemma for both Seoul and Washington,... neither of which wishes to overreact and risk closing a rare diplomatic window for denuclearization.The gray-zone tactics are often comprised by bombastic statements aided by sensational coverage by foreign media.The report suggested that policymakers in the U.S. needs to come up with their own gray-zone strategy... with the central task of influencing the decision-making process of key audiences... instead of choosing to use brute military force to counter threats by its adversaries. Countermeasures include punitive responses to North Korea's lower-grade provocations... ranging from new sanctions on third-party entities that conduct commercial activities with Pyeongyang, a stronger maritime interdiction posture,... and joint covert information operations with the South Korean government.Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.