In response to al-Bashar Assad's recent chemical attack on civilians,... the U.S., Britain and France launched precision airstrikes at three targets in Syria last weekend.
While the attack was designed to send a strong message to Assad and his allies,... there are concerns over its knock-on effects,... including how it could alarm North Korea.
Cha Sang-mi reports.
President Trump addressed the U.S. from the White House last Friday, local time, saying he had given the order for the U.S. military -- in conjunction with Britain and France -- to launch airstrikes on Syria.

The airstrikes came around a week after an alleged chemical weapons attack on civilians in the rebel-held town of Douma on April 7th.
The Pentagon confirmed the airstrikes hit three sites: a scientific research facility in the capital, Damascus, and chemical weapons storage facilities, as well as an important command post near Homs.

Speaking at a briefing late Friday,... U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said the strikes were to send a strong message to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"But right now this is a one time shot and I believe that it sent a very strong message to dissuade him (Assad), to deter him from doing this again."

And there's some debate over that message, and whether it was simply targeting the Syrian president or also aimed at North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, ahead of the expected U.S.-North Korea summit.

"The North Korea will kind of feel frightened or concerned about the recent strike on Syria. Clearly the focus of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is how his regime would be guaranteed in security and safety."

However, another expert says the United States has been taking a very different approach for the Middle East and North Korea, and Washington was always hesitant to use direct military power against Pyongyang.

"There was always a very wide divergence between the U.S. policies towards the Middle East and North Korea. Even if there was a need to react to North Korean challenges always the U.S avoided using military force. So I think the Syrian airstrikes will not alarm North Korea overly much."

The expert added that rather than the airstrikes against Syria, Pyongyang will be more interested in the U.S. relationships with Russia and China,... and that the U.S. trade war with China and confrontation with Russia over Syria could benefit Pyongyang when it comes to negotiations with Washington.
Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News.