The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Scientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlight

  • 3

    BLACKPINK's contract renewal still in limbo

  • 5

    Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors

  • 7

    Family of 5 found dead in 3 separate locations

  • 9

    INTERVIEWVirtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels

  • 11

    Korea boosts subsidies to rev up falling EV sales

  • 13

    Lawmakers want to grill business tycoons over decision to rejoin FKI

  • 15

    Arrest warrant hearing for DPK leader Lee to be held Tuesday

  • 17

    Appellate court upholds 9-yr prison term for man over filming, distributing sexual videos featuring women

  • 19

    Gov't reviews changing description of Fukushima wastewater

  • 2

    N. Korea holds politburo meeting to discuss Kim-Putin summit: KCNA

  • 4

    BTS member Suga begins mandatory military service

  • 6

    Xi says he will seriously consider visit to South Korea: official

  • 8

    Opposition party in turmoil as leader could be arrested on Tuesday

  • 10

    Foreign employees rewarded for contribution to Korea's shipbuilding industry

  • 12

    Russia lodges protest to S.Korean envoy over Yoon's UN speech

  • 14

    Disney+ aims to expand investment in original Korean content

  • 16

    Hebrew University students travel to Korea to explore musical landscape

  • 18

    Yoon signs off on plan to waive expressway tolls during Chuseok holiday

  • 20

    Korea hammers Thailand to clinch men's football knockout berth

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
North Korea
Sun, September 24, 2023 | 15:14
North Korea likely to conduct nuclear test no later than Feb. 16: analyst
Posted : 2023-01-02 16:47
Updated : 2023-01-03 15:11
Jung Min-ho
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju-ae inspect the development of the Hwasong-12, an intermediate-range ballistic missile, at an unspecified location in North Korea, in this photo released Sunday. Yonhap
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju-ae inspect the development of the Hwasong-12, an intermediate-range ballistic missile, at an unspecified location in North Korea, in this photo released Sunday. Yonhap

By Jung Min-ho

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju-ae inspect the development of the Hwasong-12, an intermediate-range ballistic missile, at an unspecified location in North Korea, in this photo released Sunday. Yonhap
Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst on North Korea at the Sejong Institute
With intelligence reports showing North Korea is set for another nuclear weapons test, when ― rather than whether ― it will proceed has become a geopolitical guessing game. One expert believes that the test will be conducted within the next seven weeks.

According to Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst on North Korea at the Sejong Institute, a think tank, leader Kim Jong-un will likely order the test to be held no later than Feb. 16, the anniversary of the birth of his father, Kim Jong-il. If not, two other likely dates for testing would be his own birthday (Jan. 8) or the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army (Feb. 8), North Korea's military forces.

"Compared with Kim's previous New Year's remarks, which highlighted the country's economic growth, he emphasized strengthening the military and nuclear weapons this time. A nuclear test is expected soon to back up his message," Cheong told The Korea Times Monday.

He was one of the experts who predicted that the North would be less likely to push for a nuclear test in 2022, the year of a politically crucial event for China's President Xi Jinping ― the 20th National Congress of its Communist Party where he secured a precedent-defying third term in power.

"The prediction that North Korea would push ahead with a nuclear test before the midterms in the United States in November was wrong, perhaps because it ignored the North's politics. If the past is any guide, North Korea conducted nuclear tests on or just prior to politically meaningful days," Cheong said. "If the North does not conduct a test in January or February, it could be delayed to July 27, the anniversary of the Korean War armistice signing, which is called 'the Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War' in North Korea, or later."

Speaking on New Year's Eve during a plenary session of the ruling Workers' Party's review of 2022, Kim called for an "exponential increase" in his country's nuclear weapons against the "maximum" level of military threats from Seoul and Washington. He then presented a task to develop a more reliable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a nuclear capability, which, if successful, would allow the regime to present a more realistic nuclear threat to the U.S.

In another striking claim, Kim said North Korea is already equipped with a 600mm super-large multiple launch rocket system that can hit anywhere in South Korea with nuclear warheads.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju-ae inspect the development of the Hwasong-12, an intermediate-range ballistic missile, at an unspecified location in North Korea, in this photo released Sunday. Yonhap
A New Year event is held at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday. AP-Yonhap

All of these comments suggest unprecedented levels of nuclear challenges for South Korea. With China and Russia determined to veto any U.S.-led attempt to impose further sanctions on North Korea, its next nuclear test will put not just President Yoon Suk-yeol's leadership but also the Seoul-Washington alliance to the test, as the U.S. might be more concerned about its ICBMs than nuclear weapons, Cheong said.

To counter the intensifying missile and nuclear threats from the North, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced Monday that it launched a new division.

The Directorate of Countering Nuclear and WMD (other weapons of mass destruction) will lead South Korea's efforts to strengthen its missile defense, Kill Chain preemptive strike and Massive Punishment and Retaliation systems against such threats.

Maj. Gen. Park Hu-soung, the inaugural head of the body, said in a statement that he will try his best for the mission, vowing to build "overwhelming" capabilities.


Emailmj6c2@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
miguel
Top 10 Stories
1Scientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlightScientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlight
2Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors
3Opposition party in turmoil as leader could be arrested on Tuesday Opposition party in turmoil as leader could be arrested on Tuesday
4Foreign employees rewarded for contribution to Korea's shipbuilding industry Foreign employees rewarded for contribution to Korea's shipbuilding industry
5Korea boosts subsidies to rev up falling EV sales Korea boosts subsidies to rev up falling EV sales
6Russia lodges protest to S.Korean envoy over Yoon's UN speech Russia lodges protest to S.Korean envoy over Yoon's UN speech
7Lawmakers want to grill business tycoons over decision to rejoin FKI Lawmakers want to grill business tycoons over decision to rejoin FKI
8Gov't reviews changing description of Fukushima wastewater Gov't reviews changing description of Fukushima wastewater
9'Songpyeon' for low-income families 'Songpyeon' for low-income families
10Big insurers up for sale, but financial conglomerates appear disinterestedBig insurers up for sale, but financial conglomerates appear disinterested
Top 5 Entertainment News
1TEMPEST gears up to showcase fiery passion TEMPEST gears up to showcase fiery passion
2BLACKPINK's contract renewal still in limbo BLACKPINK's contract renewal still in limbo
3[INTERVIEW] Virtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels INTERVIEWVirtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels
4Hebrew University students travel to Korea to explore musical landscape Hebrew University students travel to Korea to explore musical landscape
5[INTERVIEW] Seoul's increased art market momentum brings Sotheby's back to Korea INTERVIEWSeoul's increased art market momentum brings Sotheby's back to Korea
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group