With less than 50 days until the U.S. presidential election, North Korea is intensifying its provocations. On the final day of the Chuseok holiday, North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missile (SRBMs) toward the northeast. This missile launch was the second in a week marked by provocative actions, including the unusual release of images showing centrifuges used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.

North Korea allowed international experts to visit its Yongbyon centrifuge facility in 2010, but behind closed doors. By publicly sharing these images now, North Korea's actions suggest a more aggressive and multifaceted approach to its threats, raising serious concerns.

By openly displaying images of its centrifuges and launching SRBMs, North Korea is clearly defying multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibit nuclear weapons development. These actions seem aimed at gaining leverage with the United States ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election. Some experts suggest that North Korea may be pushing for recognition as a nuclear state, positioning any future negotiations with the U.S. as discussions on arms reduction rather than disarmament.

North Korea's escalating brinkmanship is particularly alarming, amid the tense geopolitical climate, especially as it mirrors Russia's aggressive posture, heightening threats to global peace. In a twist of timing, Russia's former defense minister and current Security Council secretary, Sergei Shoigu, met with Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang last Friday, further deepening concerns about potential strategic alignments between the two nations.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said that on his visit to the site, Kim urged workers to produce more materials for tactical nuclear weapons, and said that the weapons were intended for "self-defense and the capability for preemptive attack."

Various experts were cited as noting that the photo showed enhanced separation capabilities, and a cascade system to achieve highly enriched uranium. The location of the new centrifuges is unclear, but the new facility is suspected to be one of five or six sites in the North to enrich uranium. An expansion of North Korea's nuclear stockpile threatens not only the security of the Korean Peninsula but also global stability. In June, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimated that Pyongyang possesses around 50 nuclear warheads and has enough material to produce an additional 40, further raising concerns about the region's fragile security balance.

Despite various proposals offered by President Yoon Suk Yeol, including the recent Unification Doctrine, Pyongyang has remained silent.

Seoul and Washington must firmly reiterate their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and make it clear to North Korea that any further provocations — often termed an "October surprise" — designed to strain or challenge their alliance will ultimately harm Pyongyang's own interests.

Seoul and Washington should make it clear that they will not tolerate such reckless pursuits of nuclear weapons. Regardless of who wins the U.S. presidential election in November, the two allies must adhere to the denuclearization principle. Unfortunately, both the Democratic and Republican parties have left the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula out of their 2024 platforms. It is crucial that the next U.S. administration lets North Korea know that the goal of denuclearization remains a steadfast priority, ensuring the regime understands that this objective is non-negotiable.

Yoon and his administration must carefully monitor and evaluate the motives and political calculations behind the recent wave of North Korean provocations. Currently, the two Koreas are engaged in a loudspeaker war along the border, with North Korean balloons filled with trash drifting southward. The Seoul government should address this escalation on multiple fronts: collaborating with the incoming U.S. administration to reaffirm denuclearization goals for the Korean Peninsula, while also seeking dialogue with the North to discuss reducing tensions.