N. Korea poised for nuclear test at Kim’s order: defense intelligence
Rep. Park Sun-won of the ruling Democratic Party speaks at a parliamentary audit of the Defense Intelligence Agency on Wednesday. Yonhap
SEOUL — North Korea appears to be ready to promptly carry out what would be its seventh nuclear test should leader Kim Jong-un make a decision on it, the defense intelligence agency was quoted as saying by lawmakers Wednesday.
If Kim makes a decision to conduct a nuclear test utilizing the No. 3 tunnel at Punggye-ri, it can be carried out in a short time, Rep. Park Sun-won of the ruling Democratic Party and Rep. Lee Seong-kweun of the main opposition People Power Party, who co-chairs the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters following a closed-door audit of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Pyongyang last conducted an underground nuclear test in 2017.
North Korea appears to be beefing up efforts to secure nuclear material and is establishing various types of manufacturing facilities for nuclear warheads, according to the assessment by the agency.
Meanwhile, Pyongyang seems to be preparing for the launch of another spy satellite, capable of providing high-resolution imagery compared with its existing spy satellite, backed by technological assistance from Russia.
The North successfully launched its first military spy satellite, the Malligyong-1, in November 2023 and had vowed to launch three more spy satellites in 2024.
But it has yet to launch another one since a rocket carrying a satellite exploded shortly following takeoff in May last year.
North Korea appears to be partially operating the now-shuttered Kaesong Industrial Complex, running facilities used to manufacture everyday necessities, according to the agency.
Park also said he was briefed on reports that the North had prepared for war after the South Korean military ordered a drone infiltration operation to Pyongyang in October last year.
"I was briefed that the North Korean residents were shaken (after the drone infiltration) and North Korea began preparing itself for war," Park said in the briefing.
According to Park, the South Korean military also reportedly flew an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter near the military demarcation line and deployed additional unmanned aerial vehicles across the border following October's drone operation.