The image of Kim Jong-un riding on a white horse on the sacred Paektu mountain may signal the North's decision on the nuclear program.

In the photos published by the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 4, Kim Jong-un leader dressed in beige bamboo robes and white horses led his entourage to the sacred mountain of Paektu. He was followed by his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and senior Korean officials.

At first glance, these pictures are like ordinary propaganda photos, but according to experts, they are hidden behind an important message.

Paektu, the highest mountain in North Korea, is said to be the origin of the Korean people, which is extremely sacred to the people of this country.

Kim Jong-un often visits Mount Paektu before making important decisions and this is also where the North Korean Central Committee of the Workers' Party will hold a meeting in a few weeks to discuss "issues." Thiet ", but the content is unknown.

According to Leonid Petrov, a North Korea expert and senior lecturer at the Sydney International School of Management, the photos of Kim Jong-un riding a white horse on a sacred mountain are clearly linked to an important "deadline". North Korea set out.

In April, after the second US-North Korean summit failed to achieve the expected results, Kim Jong-un warned the United States to change the approach in his talks before December 31, if not "develop." Hope to solve the problem will become bleak and very dangerous ".

By October, top North Korean negotiators continued to repeat the December 31 deadline, threatening to continue nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missiles if the United States failed to make a proposal. feasible to make a breakthrough in the denuclearization of the peninsula.

North Korea has been constantly testing short-range missiles and ultra-large rocket firepower, apparently to pressure and remind the United States of its military strength and deadlines. According to Professor Petrov, the latest photos of Kim Jong-un imply that North Korea is about to deliver an important message.

"It seems we are standing at a crossroads in US-Korea relations and it seems that time is running out," he commented. "North Korea is delivering a strong message both at home and abroad. For the Koreans, their leadership riding white horses on the sacred mountain could mean that an important decision or a change. major policy change is about to take place ".

Based on information in the North Korean state media, Petrov said that Kim Jong-un may be ready to end the ban on nuclear and missile testing after the deadlock in the process of US denuclearization negotiations - Tide.

According to him, North Korea is likely to build more nuclear facilities and try more new ballistic missiles. "The most frightening scenario is an aerial nuclear test," instead of being carried out in the mountains as previously, Petrov said.

Before the relationship between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un began to improve, Pyongyang announced the successful test of a thermonuclear bomb at its base in the mountains in 2017 and informed telling them to "take it very seriously" in taking "the next step" is to test nuclear atmospheres in the atmosphere.

While initial nuclear diplomacy efforts have worked, leading to North Korea 's commitment to stopping nuclear and missile testing, the process is at a dead end, increasing Pyongyang's ability to take action. "next step".

Petrov said the latest photos of Kim Jong-un and the clear message behind it were particularly worrying for neighboring countries like Russia, China, South Korea, as well as the United States and its allies.

"The diplomatic process must be resumed as soon as possible, before it is too late, and the clock is ticking," he warned.

According to Petrov, Kim Jong-un's new year message on January 1 next year will reveal more information about the North's "next step" and whether the "door of opportunity" will close in the context of General Trump is being impeached by the House of Representatives, making it difficult for him to focus on his efforts to promote US-Korea dialogue.

"Although North Korea displayed great enthusiasm last year, it now refuses to hold talks with Seoul, accusing Korea of being pro-American, hypocritical and aggressive," Petrov said. "Perhaps by the end of this year, we will have to return to the situation we were in and North Korea will begin testing nuclear."

"Nobody and nothing can stop them. The things North Korea expects from the summits with Trump do not take place, sanctions are not lifted and there is no guarantee of security." , forcing them to continue developing their own security measures, "the professor said.