MOSCOW, June 6. /TASS/. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s concerns over the current activity at North Korea’s Phungeri test site look quite reasonable, and it cannot be ruled out that Pyongyang is preparing for a nuclear test, the head of the Russian International Affairs Council, Andrey Kortunov, told TASS on Monday.
While commenting on fears expressed earlier on Monday by the IAEA’s Director-General Rafael Grossi to the effect Pyongyang might be getting ready for a nuclear test at the Phungeri test site, Kortunov said he "would not rule out that a nuclear weapon test may follow the recent missile tests."
"One can speculate about different aims," he continued. "First of all, this is a means of drawing attention, because for now the DPRK-related agenda has faded into the background of world politics due to the events in Ukraine and other factors. In the meantime, several years ago this topic was central to many political discussions. They [North Korea] would like to have back as much attention as possible again."
It should be remembered that the DPRK's nuclear program "keeps developing in one way or another and requires periodic testing."
"Probably, North Korea has not yet developed alternative test mechanisms (practiced by nuclear powers) that make physical testing of nuclear weapons unnecessary," Kortunov said. "There may be purely technical factors involved."
At the same time, Kortunov remarked, the main deterrent to Pyongyang's nuclear activity today is not so much the UN Security Council as the attitude of neighboring China, which North Korea’s leadership will certainly take into account in assessing potential risks. Pyongyang's actions should also be considered as a political signal in a crisis period, the analyst said. "Now we see that amid the crisis, many regional countries are trying to strengthen their positions by means of various sorts of demonstrations," he continued. "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is conducting a special military operation in Syria. The DPRK’s leadership is testing ballistic missiles, which may be followed by nuclear tests. When the customary mode of life is collapsing before our eyes, some countries, like North Korea, have nothing against trying to earn some political dividends."
Kortunov warns against underestimating the real risks of a further escalation. In particular, he mentioned the reports about missile launches by the United States and South Korea in response to North Korea’s tests. "The current trend is towards an aggravation again. Both the United States and South Korea have taken a harder line than before," he continued. "For now, it is too early to say that a full-scale crisis is on, but stability is dwindling."
The Yonhap News Agency earlier reported, citing South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, that the United States and South Korea had carried out test missile launches in response to the North Korean tests. North Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Sunday, according to the South Korean military.