NKorea could hold nuclear test on coming anniversary: US envoy

Space war

3 years ago

Pyongyang is ignoring US overtures for talks and could be planning its first nuclear weapon test in nearly five years for its April 15 holiday, the State Department’s top North Korea envoy said Wednesday.

Sung Kim, the Special Representative for North Korea Policy, said Washington thinks Pyongyang could be planning a big show of its growing nuclear weapons capacity on the annual holiday next week, which will celebrate the 110th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, who founded the modern Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

“We are worried that in connection with the upcoming April 15 anniversary, the DPRK may be tempted to take another provocative action,” Kim told reporters, referring to North Korea’s recent ballistic missile test launches.

“I don’t want to speculate too much, but I think it could be another missile launch, it could be a nuclear test,” he said.

North Korea has tested nuclear weapons several times starting in 2006, and its last test was in 2017.

Pyongyang has continued to ignore Washington’s overtures to resume discussions about removing all nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula, Kim said.

“We have not received any response from Pyongyang, which is very disappointing, because we have sent several messages, both public and private, inviting them to a dialogue without any conditions,” he said.

“Instead they have initiated a series of missile tests that recently culminated in at least three ICBM launches. These actions pose a serious threat to regional stability.”

Kim also said that China and Russia were not helping President Joe Biden’s push to restart talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Talks aimed at containing Pyongyang’s nuclear threat appeared to gain traction under the previous US administration of Donald Trump, but then stopped.

After Biden took office, North Korea began a series of missile tests, 13 in all, that culminated last month with the test of a ballistic missile that could potentially deliver a nuclear warhead to the eastern United States.

The tests have alarmed North Korea’s immediate neighbors South Korea and Japan.

On Tuesday, Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister Kim Yo Jong warned that Pyongyang will use its nuclear weapons to “eliminate” South Korea’s army in the event they launch a preemptive strike.

Sung Kim said that Washington is pushing for a fresh resolution condemning Pyongyang’s actions at the UN Security Council.

But he noted that in six earlier efforts this year, Russia and China “have consistently blocked our efforts to produce a UN public statement.”

Thanks for being here;

We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook – our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don’t have a paywall – with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Contributor

$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly

paypal only

Kim’s sister says North Korea nukes could ‘eliminate’ South

Seoul (AFP) April 5, 2022

North Korea will use its nuclear weapons to “eliminate” South Korea’s army in the event they launch a pre-emptive strike, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un said Tuesday.

Kim Yo Jong’s warning, carried in state media, was her second angry retort in three days to comments made by South Korea’s defence chief Suh Wook last week.

They come as North Korea has resumed its sanctions-breaking weapons tests with an unprecedented blitz this year, last month firing its first intercontinental ballist … read more