On Wednesday, a US intelligence reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un probably will test a nuclear device again in his campaign to make a nuclear arsenal that he notices as “the ultimate guarantor” of his power.
Kim also is possible to continue firing nuclear-capable missiles in an measure “to normalize Pyongyang’s missile testing,” the 2023 Annual Threat Assessment report said. North Korea has performed six nuclear tests since 2006, with each blast increasing in power. Its last nuclear test was in 2017.
A report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said that North Korea probably is preparing to test a nuclear device to further its stated military modernization goals.
Kim almost certainly views nuclear weapons and ICBMs as the ultimate guarantor of his autocratic rule and has no intention of abandoning those programs, believing that over time he will gain international acceptance as a nuclear power.
North Korea supports its nuclear programs partly from the proceeds of criminal activity, including cryptocurrency theft. In one heist in 2022, Pyongyang stole a record $625 million from a Singapore-based blockchain technology firm.”
The report said.
In recent years, it has test-fired intercontinental and ballistic missiles at an increasingly quick pace, firing more than 60 of them last year alone. While in the past six months, North Korea “timed its missile launches” to overlap with joint US-South Korean military exercises.
The report added that Pyongyang probably wants the alliance to decrease the pace and scale of the exercises with the ultimate goal of undermining the strength of US-South Korea defense ties.
