Photo : YONHAP News
A U.S. top intelligence official said that North Korea is prepared to conduct another nuclear test “on short notice.” Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), presented the assessment on Tuesday in her opening remarks during a session of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Gabbard said that North Korea is probably prepared to conduct another nuclear test on short notice and will continue to conduct intercontinental ballistic missile flight tests to demonstrate its increasing capabilities as leverage in future negotiations. The DNI continued that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is pursuing stronger strategic and conventional capabilities that can target U.S. forces and allies in the region, as well as the U.S. mainland. She said that this is to bolster his country's leverage and stature, defend his regime and achieve “at least tacit recognition as a nuclear weapons power.” Gabbard added that the solidified strategic partnership with Russia provides more financial, military, and diplomatic support to Kim and strengthens this goal, which reduces the need to comply with China's conditions for dependence and support on China and also provides real combat experience to the North Korean military.
Meanwhile, the Office of the DNI issued the Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community on Tuesday, which assessed that Kim has "no intention" of negotiating away his strategic weapons programs, which he perceives as a "guarantor of regime security and national pride."