North Korea appears to be planning to prepare to conduct its first nuclear bomb test in more than four years, as tensions between the United States and Russia and China over the war in Ukraine will cause the United Nations to UN) is unlikely to issue sanctions against the Pyongyang government.
According to South Korea’s DongA Ilbo newspaper, workers were discovered digging a new passageway at the Punggye-ri nuclear facility, where North Korea has carried out all six previous nuclear tests.
North Korea may conduct its seventh nuclear test on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the birthday of late Chairman Kim Il Sung. (Photo: Reuters)
According to DongA Ilbo, the seventh nuclear test could take place as early as April this year, when North Korea celebrates the 110th birthday of the late Chairman Kim Il Sung.
Earlier, on March 28, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also issued a new warning to the US that he plans to develop more “strong offensive capabilities”. According to Kim, the weapons will make North Korea safer and “control all threats from the US side”.
When Kim mentioned the possibility of resumption of larger-scale weapons tests after more than two years of pause, the United States continuously launched sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. Therefore, the possibility that North Korea considers conducting weapons tests at this time can avoid UN sanctions. Because any sanctions at the UN Security Council need the support of Russia and China. Meanwhile, the US is deeply disagreeing with Russia – China over Ukraine issue.
This is reflected in developments during the UN Security Council meeting on March 25 to discuss the test of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). This is the first ICBM launch conducted by North Korea since November 2017.
At the meeting, Anna Evstigneeva, Russia’s ambassador to the UN, rejected the US call for more sanctions on North Korea. Instead, Ms. Evstigneeva proposes a solution that is cooperated with China towards negotiating priority.
“North Korea seems certain to see the disagreement between Russia and the US and the US and China as a golden opportunity to test long-range missiles,” said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a researcher with the 38 North Program at the Stimson Center. possibly testing nuclear weapons.”
Although North Korea is under UN sanctions, the country continues to develop new types of missiles that are smaller in size but equipped with advanced warheads and become a significant threat. with America.
These weapons will become a bargaining chip for Chairman Kim once the North Korean leader decides to return to the negotiating table for denuclearization in return for sanctions affecting the national economy. is deleted.
Specifically, in the last days of the term of former US President Donald Trump, Mr. Kim announced a 5-year roadmap for the nuclear program with the goal of producing more compact, smaller, but smaller nuclear warheads. stronger attack.
Weapons mentioned in Kim’s speech include hypersonic missiles designed to penetrate US missile shields, as well as strike a number of US military bases in South Korea and Japan. Copy. Several weapons of this type have been tested by North Korea in recent months.
Even the Punggye-ri nuclear facility, which was destroyed before Kim held his first summit with former President Trump in 2018, is showing signs of infrastructure upgrades. floor to resume operations.
Lee Choon-geun, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Policy, said that observers will see the location of the tunnel used to detonate the nuclear bomb and determine his purpose. Kim.
According to DongA Ibo newspaper, the South Korean military has detected signs of activity in tunnel 3 at North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear facility.
“If North Korea conducts its seventh nuclear test in the third tunnel, the country will continue to test miniaturized nuclear warhead technology on tactical nuclear weapons,” Lee Choon said. geun said.
According to Lee Choon-geun, tunnel 4 in Punggye-ri can be used to test thermonuclear weapons.
Top military officials from Japan, South Korea and the United States are scheduled to meet this week in Hawaii to discuss North Korea’s Hwasong-17 ICBM launch.
Earlier, on March 25, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) confirmed that Chairman Kim viewed the launch of ICBM Hwasong-17 to demonstrate the strength of the North Korean nuclear force and prevent any move from the side. America.
Analysts say the Hwasong-17 is the largest liquid-fueled missile ever launched by a country on a mobile land-based launch system.
KCNA reported that the Hwasong-17 ICBM flew a distance of 1,090 km and reached a maximum altitude of 6,248 km, and accurately hit targets at sea. These parameters coincide with the data published by the Japanese and Korean side.
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