US assess North Korea could be preparing first weapons' test since Biden took over: Report

The United States intelligence has assessed that North Korea could be gearing up to carry out its first weapons' test since President Joe Biden took over the office, reported CNN on March 17 citing officials who revealed the information on the condition of anonymity. As per the report, the US officials are currently on their toes especially when the US and South Korea conduct has scaled-down, simulated military exercises while the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin are in Asia meeting Japanese and South Korean counterparts. 

However, reportedly, US Defence Department spokesperson Lt. Col. Martin Meiners said in a statement that they “don’t comment on intelligence matters.” But, he went on to say, “North Korea's continued development of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction represent a threat to US interests and the security of our allies and partners. In the near term, DoD, in close coordination with allies and partners, will seek to deter negative behaviour from North Korea.” As per the report, the regional experts have said that a ‘test or provocation’ of any kind would not be a surprise from the North Korean government. 

North Korea conducted tests in 2017, 2009

North Korea conducted tests in 2017 shortly after former US President Donald Trump acquired power and in 2009 when Barack Obama arrived in the White House. A senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, Bruce Klinger told the media outlet while referring to Pyongyang’s action in the past that the secretive nation has done some kind of “strongly provocative action” early in both US and South Korean administrations. 

Klinger also revealed, based on the account of a North Korean defector, that the idea was to ‘train them like a dog’ to squeeze concessions fro the two, more powerful nations. Therefore, the expert reportedly said that the “history would indicate” that North Korea would do something in the first few months of the Biden administration as well adding, “If they do provocation, it’s perfectly predictable.” 

The alert among US officials over a potential test in Pyongyang came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s influential sister Kim Yo Jong warned the United States against “causing a stink at its first step” on Monday. This was also just hours after the White House said that it had did not get any response to the diplomatic overtures that it had been making to North Korea.