North Korea held its 13th armed protest this year, just after the Day of the Sun on the 15th, the birthday of Kim Il-sung.



The South Korea-U.S. joint exercise is scheduled for tomorrow (18th), and there are schedules that North Korea can use as an opportunity for provocation, such as the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army on the 25th, when a large-scale military parade is expected to be held, the inauguration ceremony of the president-elect Yun Seok-yeol next month, and the Korea-US summit. As it is scheduled to continue, military tensions are likely to continue.



South Korea and the United States military and intelligence authorities have also strengthened surveillance and preparedness, seeing that North Korea is highly likely to conduct a nuclear test or other provocations.



North Korea also revealed today that the day before, it had test-fired a new tactical guided weapon under the observation of General Secretary Kim Jong-un.



The test of this new tactical guided weapon belonging to a short-range ballistic missile is the first in 23 days since North Korea launched an ICBM claimed as the 'Hwasong 17' on the 24th of last month.



Looking at the photo of the launch released by North Korea, it looked similar to the 'North Korean version of Iskander'.



It seems possible that the missile was reduced and improved so that it could be fired from a launch tube mounted on a mobile launch vehicle.



The flight distance was as short as 110 km, and it was analyzed that it did not meet the basic specifications of the 'North Korean version of Iskander', so it seems that the level was adjusted with low-intensity tactical provocation.



However, North Korea referred to this new guided weapon as 'operating tactical nuclear weapons, nuclear warfare force', giving it meaning as if it could be loaded with a nuclear warhead.



Although it has not been confirmed whether North Korea has the technology to miniaturize nuclear warheads, military authorities are analyzing that it appears to be intending to mount nuclear warheads ranging from short-range missiles to ICBMs and SLBMs.



North Korea's test launch does not seem to have anything to do with the South Korea-U.S. joint command post training schedule starting tomorrow, as well as the dispatch of the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Lincoln, which entered the high seas of the East Sea on the 12th and trained with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.



On the 25th, when a large-scale military parade is expected to be held, it is also possible that North Korea will unveil a new medium- and short-range ballistic missile equipped with a new warhead.



In addition, the inauguration ceremony for the election of President Yoon Seok-yeol on the 10th of next month and the Korea-US summit scheduled to be held in Seoul in the middle of the same month are scheduled, so it is analyzed that there is a high possibility that North Korea will carry out additional provocations to highlight its presence.



Tunnel 3 of the nuclear test site in Punggye-ri, Gilju-gun, North Hamgyeong Province, which North Korea is recovering, is not deep inside, so the military and intelligence authorities are evaluating it to be used for nuclear tests for the development of small tactical nuclear weapons.



(Photo=Pyongyang Chosun Central News Agency, Yonhap News)