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| North Korean leader visits South Hwanghae Province, Aug. 28. Yonhap |
By Do Je-hae
Pyongyang may be getting ready to showcase a new type of ICBM in October, according to a recent media report.
The National Interest, a U.S. international affairs magazine, reported Sept. 2 that North Korea could possibly unveil a more reliable type of ICBM during a military parade Oct. 10, citing officials in Washington.
"A senior White House official, as well as multiple U.S. intelligence officials I have spoken with over the last few days, strongly suspect Pyongyang will unveil a solid-fueled intercontinental-range ballistic missile (ICBM) at its Oct. 10 military parade celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea," said Harry J. Kazianis, senior director for Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest in the report.
He cited White House and Intelligence officials who said that this seems to be the "most likely scenario based on their history."
The report added that the long-range ballistic missile could be solid-fueled, which would signal a "generational shift" in North Korea's missile technology from its current long-range ICBMs ― the liquid-fueled Hwasong-14 and 15.
"While those ICBMs are mobile, their liquid fuel requires longer preparation times as the weapons cannot normally be left in a fueled state, due to the corrosive and highly combustible nature of the chemicals used," Kazianis added. "Solid-fueled missiles carry the advantage of being able to stay in a fueled and ready-to-strike state."
The report comes amid concerns that North Korea could raise tension ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November to renew attention to their deadlocked nuclear negotiations.
U.S-North Korea denuclearization talks have been halted, with neither side showing much interest in resuming negotiations while the U.S. is occupied with the election.
"North Korea will withhold the negotiations until then and see how the election turns out," Hong Min, director of the North Korea division at the Korea Institute for National Unification told The Korea Times. "If Trump's chances of reelection becomes slim in the coming weeks, North Korea could decide to make some kind of a gesture."
Speculations are rising that the victory of Trump's Democratic rival and two-time vice president Joe Biden may frustrate North Korea and drive it to hostile action. Biden has been a scathing critic of Trump's North Korea policy and his summitry with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
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