According to South Korea's military intelligence agency, North Korea is close to carrying out its seventh nuclear test and possibly a test of a long-range missile capable of reaching the United States. The test of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) is estimated to take place in November, but the specific location has not yet been revealed.
All of North Korea's ICBM tests since 2017 have been conducted at a high angle to avoid the territories of neighboring countries. Furthermore, it has been reported that Pyongyang may be preparing to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to reach the continental United States.
In a closed-door briefing, it was mentioned that some advanced units of North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, possibly to be located in the Kursk region due to a potential Ukrainian incursion in that area.
The South Korean president had anticipated that North Korea could carry out significant provocations, such as nuclear and missile tests, around the time of the elections in the United States, to increase pressure on Washington and its allies. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been emphasizing his military nuclear program in recent months, conducting missile system tests and revealing a secret facility for the production of enriched uranium for weapons.
Experts indicate that North Korea appears to have finalized preparations to conduct a nuclear test at its test site in Punggye-ri, possibly in tunnel number 3. There is a possibility that the country may decide to test its weapons at an angle closer to a normal ballistic trajectory to verify the warhead's resilience under atmospheric reentry conditions, a crucial technological step for long-range missiles.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have increased since 2022, particularly after Kim Jong Un attempted to accelerate his nuclear and missile programs by taking advantage of the distraction caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
