Ministry of Unification: "No Signs of Imminent North Korean Nuclear Test, but Monitoring Closely"

Ministry of Unification

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] The Ministry of Unification stated that there are no signs indicating an imminent 7th nuclear test by North Korea, but it is closely monitoring related developments.

An official from the Ministry of Unification explained on the 8th regarding the possibility of North Korea conducting a nuclear test, "Currently, there are no signs of an imminent (nuclear test), but we believe North Korea is prepared to conduct a nuclear test at any time," adding, "Regarding the situation at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies are closely cooperating to meticulously track and monitor it."

Earlier, Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se stated at the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary meeting on the 7th, "North Korea is in a situation where it can develop nuclear weapons at any time," and added, "There are signs that appear when a (nuclear test) is very imminent, but such signs do not seem to be present yet."

Since this spring, North Korea has been restoring the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, and it is assessed that the physical and technical preparations for a nuclear test have already been completed. The National Intelligence Service also predicted that North Korea is most likely to conduct a nuclear test before the U.S. midterm elections, which began on this day; however, North Korea has recently launched missiles consecutively but has not conducted a nuclear test. Accordingly, South Korea and the U.S. both view that only "Kim Jong-un's political decision" remains before the 7th nuclear test.

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