North Korea has completed its nuclear test preparations, a South Korean lawmaker said today, citing an intelligence report on the eve of US President Joe Biden’s visit to Seoul.
After being briefed by the National Intelligence Service, MP Ha Tae-keung said, “Preparations for a nuclear test have been completed and they are just looking for the right moment.” said.
Despite the covid-19 epidemic that affected the country, the USA and South Korea think that Kim Jong Un’s communist regime continues with its atomic and military development program.
Analysts say that after a record number of weapons tests, including the intercontinental ballistic missile, since the start of the year, Kim could try to distract the public from the health crisis with a nuclear test.
US intelligence services believe there is a “real possibility” that Kim decided to stage a “provocation” during President Joe Biden’s first visit to Asia, who will land in Seoul on Friday afternoon.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said it could mean “more missile tests, long-range missile tests or nuclear tests, or frankly all, in the days before, during or after the president’s trip to the region.”
Satellite images show that North Korea is preparing for a nuclear test that will be the seventh in its history. Washington and Seoul have warned for weeks that this could happen any day.
“North Korea will want to draw global attention with a nuclear test during President Biden’s visit to South Korea and Japan,” said Cheong Seong-chang of the Center for North-South Studies. in Seoul.
The visit coincides with the serious covid outbreak in North Korea, which was the first officially announced in the country since the start of the pandemic, which has already “fierously” affected nearly two million people.
Biden will have his first meeting with the new South Korean president, Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office last week in Seoul.
Negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled for several years after a surprising diplomatic rapprochement between former President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, who met three times, failed.
Analysts point out that rapprochement has made no progress in ending North Korea’s nuclear program.
Kim recently advocated the idea of strengthening the country’s nuclear arsenal “as fast as possible”.
According to Ewha University professor Park Won-gon, part of the blame should be placed on the Biden administration and his “systematic indifference” to North Korea since he came to power.
“We’re back in a situation where it’s difficult to make progress in terms of nuclearization and US-North Korea relations,” Park said.
“There’s really no way to stop North Korea right now,” he said.
source: Noticias
