North Korea tests new weapon

Action unlikely to affect denuclearization: expert

North Korea’s new weapons test is a sign of its dissatisfaction with US sanctions but unlikely to affect the denuclearization process, a Korean Peninsula expert said Friday following reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended the test.

Korean Central News Agency reported Friday that Kim visited the test grounds of the Academy of Defense Science and supervised a newly developed “ultramodern tactical weapon” test.

The report came after a meeting between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean official Kim Yong-chol was postponed, which was supposed to discuss denuclearization efforts and prepare for a possible second summit.

“North Korea is using this action to express to the US its dissatisfaction with the remaining sanctions,” Lü Chao, Director of the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences’ Research Institute for the Borderland, told the Global Times on Friday.

North Korea has made the first step toward denuclearization, and expects the US to respond by lifting sanctions, Lü noted. “However, the US did not lift the sanctions.”

The reports about North Korea’s new test has created speculations that it would return to its nuclear test state. However, Lü pointed out that it is unlikely that North Korea would do so.

“The report [on the weapons test[ did not mention nuclear weapons, and stressed that the ‘ultramodern tactical weapon’ is to strengthen the country’s defense capability, so it is unlikely that they are conducting another nuclear test, and would not affect its denuclearization process,” Lü said.

Asked about China’s reaction on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters that Beijing hopes the two countries solve the peninsula issue through dialogue.

“We hope that the high-level contacts between the US and North Korea will help calm the peninsula situation and push a political settlement forward.”

“The situation on the peninsula has undergone positive changes recently. We hope that the positive momentum can continue.”