MaryKateMcFarlaneBrennan
The chief of the North Korean military chief said the experiments at Sohae helped build a strategic weapon against the US nuclear threat.
"The invaluable data, technology and experience gained from recent defense science experiments will be applied by North Korea to develop strategic weapons that can restrain and overwhelm US nuclear threats." , said North Korean chief of military general Pak Jong-cho today, referring to two tests at Sohae launch site in the past week.
ICBM engine tested at Sohae in 2017 Photo: KCNA
General Pak affirmed that Pyongyang was ready to respond to all political and military provocations from rival forces, and "get acquainted with the method of dialogue and confrontation at the same time". He also warned the United States and its allies against aggression to maintain peace later this year.
"True peace and our future are only guaranteed when there is a balance of strength. The army is fully ready to execute all orders from the supreme leader," General Pak added.
The announcement came after North Korea announced it had just conducted another important test at Sohae launch site last night. "The result of this activity will strengthen the national nuclear deterrent capacity," KCNA news agency quoted the North Korean Academy of Defense Science as saying.
Two consecutive tests in a week have led many experts to believe that Pyongyang is completing the design of a new engine to build a highly reliable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). This could be a warning signal to Washington that Pyongyang could launch long-range missiles if the United States fails to meet North Korea's requirements by the end of this year.
The US-North Korean denuclearization process has stalled since a working-level negotiation in Stockholm, Sweden, in October, due to disagreements over US interests given to North Korea and the size of denuclearization. chemistry. North Korea has tried a variety of weapons in recent times and has repeatedly criticized Trump, raising concerns that the two sides may return to a tense period before the US-Korea Summit in Singapore in June 2018.
