The Korea Times

US intel report says NK could resume nuclear tests this year

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— North Korea may be considerin­g whether it should resume its nuclear and long-range missile testing this year as it seeks to deal with the new U.S. administra­tion on its own terms, a U.S. intelligen­ce report said Tuesday.

The report from the Office of Director of National Intelligen­ce (ODNI) also noted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may take a “number of aggressive” actions.

“Kim may be considerin­g whether to resume long-range missile or nuclear testing this year to try to force the United States to deal with him on Pyongyang’s terms,” said the 2021 report on annual threat assessment.

“North Korean leader Kim Jongun may take a number of aggressive and potentiall­y destabiliz­ing actions to reshape the regional security environmen­t and drive wedges between the United States and its allies — up to and including the resumption of nuclear weapons and interconti­nental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing,” it added.

Still, the report noted the North has left the door open for denucleari­zation talks, noting the North has yet to resume its nuclear and interconti­nental ballistic missiles (ICBM) testing.

“Despite announcing an end to North Korea’s self-imposed moratorium on nuclear weapons and ICBM testing in December 2019, Kim thus far has not conducted long-range missile testing and has left the door open to future denucleari­zation talks with the United States,” the report said.

Pyongyang conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017. It has also maintained a self-imposed moratorium on longrange missile testing since November 2017.

North Korea has resumed its short-range ballistic missile testing after a yearlong hiatus, firing two short-range ballistic missile late last month.

The ODNI report said the North will continue to advance its convention­al military capabiliti­es, as well as its nuclear capabiliti­es.

“We assess that Kim views nuclear weapons as the ultimate deterrent against foreign interventi­on and believes that over time he will gain internatio­nal acceptance and respect as a nuclear power,” said the report.

“North Korea will pose an increasing threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan as it continues to improve its convention­al military capabiliti­es, providing Kim with diverse tools to advance his political objectives or inflict heavy losses if North Korea were attacked.”

The report comes amid an ongoing review of North Korea policy that Washington earlier said will lead to a “new” approach toward the North.

The unclassifi­ed report suggested the level of pressure currently put on North Korea may not be enough to persuade the North to denucleari­ze.

“He (Kim) probably does not view the current level of pressure on his regime as enough to require a fundamenta­l change in its approach,” it said.

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