Nuclear-armed North Korea unveiled a massive new missile over the weekend that some analysts believe could carry enough warheads to overwhelm existing missile defenses. But is this ¡°new strategic weapon,¡± as North Korea has labeled it, merely a political ploy to increase Pyongyang¡¯s leverage with Washington after next month¡¯s U.S. presidential election?
Coming amid deadlocked denuclearization talks between the two countries, the rollout of the new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at a military parade Saturday marking the 75th anniversary of North Korea¡¯s ruling Workers¡¯ Party follows a time-tested pattern by Pyongyang as it seeks to gain the upper hand in negotiations.
But Andrew O¡¯Neil, an expert on the Koreas and a professor at Griffith University in Australia, said that while showcasing the weapon was certainly ¡°a symbolic statement designed to rattle U.S. confidence close to an election and potentially raise the stakes so the U.S. will review sanctions,¡± North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ¡°is the real deal¡± when it comes to new missiles and his nuclear buildup.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.