South Korea’s president said on Monday there are signs that North Korea is preparing a fifth nuclear bomb test amid reports of increased brisk activity at the country’s main nuclear test site.
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While Park did not elaborate on the signs that showed North Korea’s possible nuclear test, she ordered the military to gear up for its neighbor’s provocation.
North Korea is likely to carry out a fifth nuclear test in the coming weeks, South Korea said, according to local media.
The UN Security Council approved tougher-than-ever sanctions on North Korea in early March over Pyongyang’s fourth nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.
“We can no longer afford to be pushed around by North Korea’s deceit and intimidation”, he added, noting that if unchecked, the North’s nuclear program will pose an even greater threat not only to South Korea but also to the stability of Northeast Asia and beyond.
Last year, North Korea asked for peace talks with the United States. An analysis at Forbes suggests Kim is a little more execution-happy than a truly secure ruler would be, and recent stories of defections among the few North Koreans trusted to travel overseas have clearly made the regime uncomfortable.
The question of veracity hangs over every statement North Korea makes, but Reuters describes an “increasing feeling among global arms experts that North Korea’s capability may be more advanced than previously thought”. President Park instructed the military to maintain strong defence readiness to sternly retaliate against any North provocations at any time.
Park’s visit will be the first by a South Korean leader since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1962 and her office said it hoped the visit would help deepen ties after sanctions on Iran were lifted.
She also gave a nod to her conservative party’s devastating defeat in general elections last week.
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The South Korean president said solidarity between different political parties is key for the sake of “internal security and inter-Korea issues”.
