Media: North Korea could conduct nuclear test at any time

South Korea’s Defence Intelligence Agency has assessed that North Korea could conduct a nuclear test at short notice, using the No. 3 tunnel at the Punggye-ri site, if leader Kim Jong Un decides to proceed, lawmakers said on November 5 following a closed parliamentary audit.

Park Sun-won, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party and secretary of the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee, told reporters after the closed-door session that “North Korea continues to advance and expand its nuclear capabilities,” Caliber.Az reports, citing News1.

He said Pyongyang is “persistently demonstrating its nuclear power to compel the international community to tolerate it,” and is expanding uranium enrichment facilities in Yongbyon to secure nuclear material while building multiple facilities for the production of various nuclear warheads.

According to Park, North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are believed to have a range exceeding 13,000 kilometres.
“So far, it has only conducted high-angle launches, but there is speculation that it is now testing key technologies for standard trajectory launches,” he said.

He added that Pyongyang is preparing to operationalise R-class submarines to ensure it can retaliate with nuclear weapons in the event of a nuclear attack. “It is secretly developing platforms for underwater missile launches, including nuclear-powered submarines,” Park noted.

The Defence Intelligence Agency also reported to the committee that China’s exports to North Korea surged following the summit between Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“Since the summit on September 4, there have been signs of comprehensive development in North Korea–China relations,” Park said. “In September alone, China’s exports to North Korea rose by 30% year-on-year, and by 54% compared with August.”

It was also found that North Korea has been operating some factories within the closed Kaesong Industrial Complex.

Lee Seong-gwon, a lawmaker from the opposition People Power Party and another committee secretary, said: “It has been confirmed that North Korea is running part of the factories in the complex under the influence of two hostile states. These appear to be mainly light industry and essential goods factories.”

Although North Korea halted its propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts towards the South on June 12, the number of speakers installed along the border has actually increased, Lee said.

“One loudspeaker was dismantled, but two new ones were installed,” he added. “In total, about 40 sites are equipped with loudspeakers, which remain in constant operational readiness.”

Regarding North Korea’s conventional weapons, Lee said Pyongyang is “modernising its forces with small vertical take-off and landing drones and replacing old tanks with new models to offset its inferiority in manoeuvre and firepower,” adding that these modernisation efforts are expected to be completed by around 2027.

By Aghakazim Guliyev