Failure of the planned first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit will inevitably escalate military tensions between the two nations back to 2017 levels, Ri Pyong Hwi, an associate professor at the pro-Pyongyang Korea University in Japan, said on Saturday.

In comments to reporters at a meeting at the Asia Press Club’s monthly meeting in Tokyo, Ri, whose university was established in 1956 by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (better known as Chongryn), said that a North Korean missile test was likely should the June 12 summit not produce results.