North Korea is expected to test a nuclear weapon and a long-range ballistic missile as early as November.
South Korea's military intelligence agency notified the South Korean parliament on Wednesday, Oct. 30, that North Korea has likely completed preparations for its seventh nuclear test and is close to testing of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.
APNews reports this, citing the words of South Korean lawmakers who attended closed parliamentary hearings.
Intelligence also reported that North Korean troop units sent to Russia may have already reached the front line and are preparing to advance into the Kursk region, where Russia is having difficulty repelling the Ukrainian offensive.
Earlier in October, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yol had already stated in the press that he expected major provocations from North Korea during the US elections. He does not rule out that Pyongyang could conduct nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests to increase pressure on Washington and its allies.
South Korean intelligence believes that the tests could take place as early as November.
“We cannot provide an exact location, but the transporter-positioning launcher was deployed in the area where an ICBM test aimed at testing atmospheric reentry technology is expected to be conducted,” one of the publication's sources said.
The authors of the article note that all ICBM tests in North Korea since 2017 have been conducted at a high angle to avoid hitting the territory of neighboring countries. Now experts do not rule out that the DPRK may try to test its weapon at an angle closer to a normal ballistic trajectory to see if the warhead can withstand the harsh conditions of atmospheric reentry. This issue is considered one of the few remaining technological hurdles that North Korea must overcome to obtain combat-ready long-range ballistic missiles.
Recall that the United States turned to China over the DPRK troops in Russia. Washington called on Beijing to put pressure on Pyongyang to withdraw its troops from Russia.
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