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| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party at the party's headquarters in Pyongyang, Wednesday. / Yonhap |
By Jhoo Dong-chan
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has indicated that his regime will lift its moratoria on nuclear and inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests, a move that will likely perplex U.S. President Donald Trump.
During a four-day Worker's Party meeting in Pyongyang, Kim told senior North Korean officials that the test bans, which he agreed to in talks with Trump early last year, were no longer necessary, the North's state-run Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Wednesday.
Unsurprisingly, he also said Pyongyang was planning to unveil what he called a "new strategic weapon" in the near future.
In response, the U.S. president didn't seem to be upset. By mentioning Kim's agreement in Singapore about denuclearization, Trump stressed he still had a "good relationship" with the North Korean leader and added he has no questions that Kim will keep his word in refraining from conducting such tests.
Intelligence officials in Seoul said it appeared Kim was not going to give a New Year's Day address, which he has delivered annually since 2013, this year. The KCNA has not mentioned any upcoming speech and Pyongyang's main newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, didn't publish the text of a 2020 address in its Wednesday edition.
At the party meeting, the North Korean leader criticized Washington, saying Pyongyang was being pressured to accept "gangster-like demands" during the denuclearization talks. "The world will see a new strategic weapon possessed and developed by North Korea in the near future," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA.
"We will reliably put on constant alert the powerful nuclear deterrent capable of containing the nuclear threats from the United States and guaranteeing our long-term security," Kim reportedly told the officials.
While the remarks are widely interpreted as Kim expressing dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in the talks ― with the U.S. demanding North Korea present a comprehensive and detailed plan for denuclearization before sanctions are lifted ― political analysts in Seoul said it was unlikely that the North would conduct any immediate military provocations soon.
The North Korean leader also left room for continuing the dialogue, as he added any move by Pyongyang would depend entirely on Washington's attitude.
"There is no ground for us to remain unilaterally bound to the commitment any longer," the KCNA quoted Kim as saying.
The Ministry of Unification here downplayed the remarks, noting the North still remained open to dialogue on nuclear disarmament.
"We hope the talks between the U.S. and North Korea resume as soon as possible to fulfill their Singapore joint declaration," ministry spokesman Lee Sang-min told reporters in a briefing.
"North Korea mentioned the possible introduction of a new strategic weapon. Such an action will not be very helpful for the denuclearization talks or stability on the Korean Peninsula. The government will continue to do its best to fulfill its commitment to build trust with North Korea."
Sejong Institute Research Planning Vice President Cheong Seong-jang said Kim's remarks signal that that the North will not stop developing its nuclear and missile technological capabilities.
Meanwhile, President Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida: "He (Kim Jong-un) did sign a contract, he did sign an agreement talking about denuclearization. ... That was done in Singapore, and I think he's a man of his word, so we're going to find out."
While the U.S. leader was apparently shrugging off Kim's threat, some observers said the latter's remarks were aimed at "buying time" to get the concessions he wants ― sanctions relief and a security guarantee.
"Kim believes time is on his side," Cheong said. "I don't think the North will come to the table with any sincere intentions even if it resumes talks with Washington in the near future. Kim said during the meeting of the Workers' Party that he won't exchange the country's security and future for anything. This means the North will never give up its strategic weapons, and will strengthen its missile capability this year."
Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said Pyongyang was making it clear that sanctions lifting should come before denuclearization. "It is also notable that he didn't mention President Trump or the South Korean government."
North Korea has tested missiles capable of reaching the entire U.S. mainland, and has conducted six nuclear tests. The suspension of the nuclear and ICBM testing has been the core point of the nuclear diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang for the last two years. Trump and Kim have met four times so far, however, no visible progress in denuclearization has been made so far.
North Korea has missed its own year-end deadline for the restart of the denuclearization dialogue.
However, any resumption of ICBM testing would also frustrate China, North Korea's long-time backer. Beijing is also involved in a trade war with Washington and wants geopolitical friction in the region to be kept to a minimum.
