NHK’s “Nichiyo Toron” Sunday debate show aired a live discussion by seven scholars, during which they talked about North Korea’s nuclear and missile development in response to Pyongyang’s failed missile launch on early Sunday morning. Canon Institute for Global Studies Research Director Kunihiko Miyake, Nanzan University Professor Shunji Hiraiwa, and Takushoku University Professor Hideshi Takesada stated that the launch demonstrated Pyongyang’s determination not to give in to pressure from the U.S. They speculated that the DPRK is carefully watching to see how the Trump administration will respond. Keio University Professor Toshihiro Nakayama expressed his view that the pressure applied by the Trump administration is working. University of Tokyo Professor Masahiro Kohara commented that DPRK leader Kim Jong Un is apparently playing a game while observing the responses of Beijing and Washington. Katsuhisa Furukawa, a former member of the UN panel on sanctions on North Korea, expressed concern over the steady progress being made in Pyongyang’s development of nuclear and missile technology.