Kim Jung Un aims to fire long-range missiles before party convention in May

Kim Jung Un aims to fire long-range missiles before party convention in May. January. 29, 2016 07:13. by 우경임기자, 윤완준기자 woohaha@donga.com,zeitung@donga.com. Regardless of the sanctions of the international community, North Korea is pressing ahead with its schedule to achieve the status of a nuclear power. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is truly going "his way." After the fourth nuclear test, North Korea has kept low key in dealing with the pressure from the joint front of Korea and the U.S., such as the deployment of the B-52 bombers and the resumption of loudspeaker propaganda from South Korea. Some observe that the North is managing the situation to avoid sanctions. As it turned out, however, the regime had been preparing for a massive provocation, which is the launch of long-range ballistic missiles.

“It appears that the North is almost ready to launch long-rage rockets,” a high-ranking South Korean government official said on Thursday. Indeed, North Korea announced that it successfully fabricated a small and lightened atomic warhead when it conducted the third nuclear test in 2013. Experts say if the regime does succeed in launching long-range rockets this time, North Korea will take one step closer to the actual deployment of missiles equipped with nuclear warheads. “North Korea is aiming to develop nuclear missiles capable of striking the mainland U.S., and it appears the North is hurrying to fire gun salute before May when the Workers’ Party convention will be held for the first time in 36 years,” said Jo Seong-ryeol, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul.

“I heard from an inside man in North Korea that the North dropped the plan to launch long-range rockets in October last year, around the foundation day of the Workers’ Party, and it was not because of China, but because of a technical glitch,” said a source who asked to speak on the condition of anonymity. North Korea has made preparations to launch a long-range projectile larger than Unha-3, which was launched in December 2012, so as to flaunt its capacity to develop Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile that can strike the mainland U.S.

To this end, a delicate balance control system is needed, and according to the source, there is a technical problem in running the system. During the New Year’s speech this year, Kim Jung Un stressed the importance of "self-sufficiency" to prepare for the sanctions of the international community. On Sunday, Rodong Sinmun reported that the sanctions and containment measures from imperialists are growing more malicious, urging the people in North Korea to solve the problem of food shortage on their own and emphasizing the importance of self-sufficiency.

Some people say that South Korea needs to change its policy towards North Korea, which aims to denuclearize the country. “Clearly, North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapon. Under these circumstances, we need to consider the option of terminating the regime in the North,” said Cheon Yeong-woo, former presidential secretary for foreign affairs and national security.