▲ This file photo, taken May 24, 2018, shows the No. 2 tunnel at North Korea's nuclear test site in Punggye-ri in the country's northeast. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

expert-NK nuclear test

N. Korea may stage nuclear test around U.S. presidential election: expert

SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korea may carry out a new nuclear test around the time of the U.S. presidential vote in November next year to possibly intervene in the election, an expert at a South Korean research institute said Wednesday.

Park Yong-han, a senior researcher at the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, made the assessment as Seoul officials have said in recent months the North remains prepared to carry out its seventh nuclear test.

"There is a possibility that North Korea may stage provocations to intervene in the (South Korean) parliamentary elections next April and the U.S. presidential election in November," he said. "It may conduct another nuclear test by considering the pros and cons of former President Donald Trump's election."

The isolated regime last conducted a nuclear test in September 2017. Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang remain stalled since the 2019 Hanoi summit between then President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without a deal.

Park also said the North is expected to maintain its recent policy of strengthening its nuclear weapons in quantity and in quality and will likely push for the mass production of nuclear warheads in order to use tactical nuclear weapons "offensively."

In September, North Korea revised its constitution to enshrine its nuclear force-building policy, while Kim stressed the need to "exponentially" bolster the country's nuclear arsenal.

Park said the North will likely heighten a crisis situation by staging provocations in an effort to weaken security cooperation between Seoul and Washington.

The allies have recently made efforts to sharpen deterrence against North Korea's threats, such as launching the bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group this year to discuss nuclear and strategic planning.

Park also noted the need to monitor activity between Pyongyang and Beijing next year, considering the two nations will mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

"In the case of China, there is a possibility that Kim Jong-un could be invited for a summit as part of exploring an optimal strategy considering relations with the United States and North Korea," he said.

The two countries established diplomatic relations on Oct. 6, 1949.

(END)

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]