Why did North Korea suddenly announce a test of a new strategic weapon? 0
(Dan Tri) – Experts say that North Korea’s sudden announcement of testing a new strategic weapon is intended to send a message to both the US and China that they may have run out of patience with sanctions.
North Korean President Kim Jong-un (Photo: KCNA)
North Korean Central News Agency KCNA reported on April 18 that North Korean President Kim Jong-un on April 17 personally supervised the test of a new weapon that Pyongyang is developing.
`Completing the development of this weapon system is important in improving the combat capability of the Korean people’s army,` Mr. Kim said.
KCNA did not specify whether the weapon was a missile or any other weapon.
This is North Korea’s first public weapons test since the second US-North Korea summit in Hanoi on nuclear disarmament in late February failed to reach an agreement.
Zhao Tong, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center, China, said that Pyongyang’s move this time was similar to when it tested a tactical weapon system last November when the process was underway.
“The message that North Korea sends to the United States is that it will not submit to the maximum pressure strategy of the Trump administration and may even escalate tensions.
Harry Kazianis, director of North Korea studies at the Center for the National Interest, USA, also has a similar opinion to Mr. Zhao.
“Sadly, the United States is only one crisis away from another crisis with North Korea by an intercontinental ballistic missile test by Pyongyang.
In addition, the timing of the test is also a point to note when Beijing is preparing to hold the second `Belt and Road` summit and Russia is preparing to welcome Mr. Kim to the summit.
A Korean diplomatic source told SCMP that Mr. Kim may visit Russia before the conference in China takes place and may ask Moscow for financial support.
According to Mr. Zhao, after expressing support for the lifting of United Nations sanctions on North Korea, Beijing and Moscow may not be too harsh on Pyongyang’s latest weapons testing.
Mr. Boo Seung-chan, professor at Yonsei Institute (South Korea), said that Pyongyang chose to test tactical missiles instead of strategic missiles.
In addition, the weapon North Korea tested yesterday seemed to have a short range so it could not be classified as a weapon of mass destruction.
Therefore, Mr. Boo said that North Korea’s test appears to be to appease Pyongyang’s military officials, who may complain that they have been on the sidelines for too long in the year-long negotiation process.
By choosing to test this weapon, North Korea is said to want to send a message to the US but does not want the situation to escalate to too much tension and possibly lose support from Russia and China at this time.
According to Mr. Sean King, a former US government official and vice president of political strategy firm Park Strategies, the US said that Mr. Kim seemed to want to send a message to the world that North Korea could still `aggressively` test.
Lord Emperor
According to SCMP
