South Korea said today it was on guard for the possibility North Korea may try to snatch its citizens overseas or conduct “terrorist acts” after the North accused it of abducting North Korean workers from a restaurant in China. Saturday was devoted to dismantling military camps and equipment, a South Korean defence ministry official said.
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Cho cited Kim Jong Un’s directive on March 15 at the re-entry technology test site, to continue tests, to diversify the types of missiles as well as downsize the nuclear warheads.
Educated guesswork might, perhaps, enable American experts on North Korea to arrive at something approaching an accurate assessment of that country’s nuclear and missile capabilities.
“The exercises focused on the process of deploying reinforcements from the USA in the event of an emergency and intensifying South Korean troops’ mission operability with their American partners”, according to the defence ministry. Park said he knew Kim often went to North Korea.
Security has been stepped up ahead of the congress.
The congress is to mark a turning point in Kim Jong Un’s leadership. Words at top reads: “Workers of the World, Unite” and on bottom reads: “The 6th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea”.
Free movement in and out of the capital has also been forbidden and there has been an increase in inspections and property searches, according to Daily NK, which claims to have sources in the country. It cites a potential opportunity for an approach after the upcoming Party Congress.
Pyongyang has conducted a flurry of missile and other weapons tests in the run-up to the congress, although not all have been successful.
Former U.S. presidential advisor Victor Cha mentioned this point during a press conference in Seoul last week, saying that the U.S. position “has shifted” even though it is not identical with China’s peace treaty proposal of aiming to bridge Pyongyang and Washington.
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The Kim family has used party congresses – the last was held in 1980 – to consolidate its grip on power and announce long-term economic plans. Kim may decide to take on the post of party General Secretary, a position held by his late father, elevating himself from first secretary.
