According to fresh reports from Reuters, North Korea may be planning to test a new long-range missile on October 10. The test will coincide with the day that North Korea's ruling Korean Workers Party was founded. Traditionally, weapons tests are conducted on days of national importance for Pyongyang.
A Russian member of Parliament Anton Morozov who visited Pyongyang between October 2-6 said, “They (North Koreans) are preparing for new tests of a long-range missile." North Koreans gave mathematical estimations that purportedly show this new missile as capable of penetrating the US west coast.
Morozov didn’t give any details as to the identity of the North Korean officials who shared this information with him.
Tensions between USA and North Korea are high
Tensions between the US and North Korea have flared high in the last few months. Both US President Donald Trump and North Korean premier Kim Jong Un have exchanged harsh rhetoric in the past. While President Trump said that any threat to US mainland would result in total annihilation of North Korea, Kim Jong Un retorted by calling the US President deranged who would pay for his misplaced words. The world at large is concerned with the current state of affairs. North Korea has upped its ante by testing new missiles periodically and what it calls a hydrogen bomb over the last few weeks.
Sanctions have had no effect so far on breaking Pyongyang’s resolve.
Missile may not be fired at US mainland
Senior CIA analysts think that its quite unlikely that a missile will be fired at US mainland. Earlier, Kim threatened to bomb Guam but backed away at the last minute. A missile test is likely but it would not be targeted at US mainland by any means.
Capability and intent are two different things. Yong Suk Lee, CIA’s deputy assistant director for Korean Mission Center said, "There is a clarity of purpose in what (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un is doing. I don't think he's done. In fact, I told my own staff (that) October 10th is the Korean Workers Party founding day. That's Tuesday in North Korea, but Monday – the Columbus Day holiday — in the United States.
So stand by your phones."
World leaders including the Chinese premier and Russian President have condemned the reckless nuclear proliferation spearheaded by Pyongyang. However, Vladimir Putin is of the view that Pyongyang cannot be cowed into giving up nuclear weapons. Russia has a working relationship with the reclusive nation in being the nation’s major source for weapons in the past. Russia also employs forced labor from North Korea. China, which is North Korea’s major trade ally holds the view that nuclear disarmament wouldn’t progress rapidly. China additionally has been unwilling to take any harsh steps that would destabilize the North Korean government.
