The United States would be “not surprised” if North Korea conducts another nuclear test, following its intercontinental ballistic missile test this week, said the US President’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. “I have been concerned for some time that North Korea will conduct what would be its seventh nuclear test,” Jake Sullivan said in an interview broadcast Sunday, July 16 on CBS television.
“I don’t see any indication that’s going to happen anytime soon,” added Jake Sullivan. “But it wouldn’t be a surprise if North Korea conducts another nuclear test related to its intercontinental ballistic missile capability,” he continued. He pointed out that Pyongyang started testing this capability several years ago and “continues to do so”.
North Korea said on Thursday that it had successfully tested, under the supervision of its leader Kim Jong-un himself, its new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). This missile, a Hwasong-18 which was reportedly used only once before, in April, traveled 1,001 km at a maximum altitude of 6,648 km before crashing into the East Sea. assured the official news agency KCNA, using the Korean name of the Sea of Japan.
North Korea’s leader last year called his country’s nuclear power status “irreversible” and called for increased development of armaments, including tactical nuclear weapons.
The United Nations, the United States and their allies, including France, strongly condemned the missile launch, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. Jake Sullivan nevertheless reiterated the United States’ offer of negotiations, assuring that Washington was “ready to sit down and discuss their nuclear program without preconditions”.