North Korean Leader Attends Weapons Test; An American Prisoner Released

According to North Korean state media, Kim Jong Un, the leader of the country, visited a new missile production center and its test after about a year, while the government simultaneously released an American prisoner. As US-North Korea negotiations have entered a sensitive phase, these two actions are likely to be seen as contradictory messages. Reuters reported that Kim's visit to the production center of an 'advanced tactical weapon' could sour relations with Washington, especially as negotiations appear stalled. Kim Jong Un stated, 'Today's results prove that the Party's policies to focus on defense industries and technologies are correct and are another sign of our rapidly increasing defensive capabilities across the region and a fundamental change in the power and combat capabilities of our armed forces.' In response, a US State Department spokesperson said, 'We are confident that the bilateral commitment between President Trump and Kim Jong Un will be realized.' An American think tank reported the identification of hidden missile sites in North Korea. The spokesperson's reference is to the unprecedented meeting between the two leaders in June in Singapore, where they agreed on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and building new relations. However, the details of North Korea's actions to halt its nuclear and missile activities were not specified in this agreement, and negotiations have not progressed. On Friday, the North Korean government announced that it would release an American citizen who has been detained since October for 'illegal entry' into the country. This decision can be seen as a conciliatory move, as in the past, North Korea has kept American citizens in prison for longer periods. The North Korean state news agency reported that the test of this new missile weapon was successful and could protect the country like an 'iron wall.' The agency added that Kim Jong Un 'witnessed the display of power of this tactical weapon.' The only photo released by state media shows Kim Jong Un standing among several military officials on a beach, with no weapons visible in the image. Reuters, citing weapons experts, noted that one of the military officials seen in the image is the commander of the artillery and missile units of the North Korean army. The South Korean Ministry of Defense stated that it would not comment on this weapons test for now but would investigate it. Choi Kang, a political expert in Seoul, said that the primary aim of North Korea's announcement on Friday is likely to reassure its armed forces rather than undermine diplomatic negotiations. He added, 'The North Korean government is trying to eliminate dissatisfaction and concerns within its armed forces and show its soldiers that it is becoming an advanced and powerful military power.' Yang Uk, a defense expert in Seoul, also believes that conducting this weapons test may be a reaction to the joint military exercises of the US and South Korea, which North Korea claims are hostile actions violating recent agreements. Kim Jong Un stated that his father paid great attention to the design and production of this new weapon during his lifetime and personally directed it.