hankyoreh

By Kim Kyu-won, staff writer

An unexpected press release Sunday from intelligence authorities indicates that North Korea is preparing to conduct a nuclear test following its long-range missile launch scheduled for between April 12-16. There is suspicion over whether the sudden announcement is intended to influence the outcome of Wednesday’s election.

A press release sent to Ministry of Unification reporters Sunday by intelligence authorities stated that North Korea “is secretly preparing for a third nuclear test at Punggye-ri in Kilju County, North Hamgyong province, the location where the previous two nuclear tests were conducted. North Korea is currently digging a new tunnel, and the effort is believed to be in its final stages,” the press release stated. The Ministry of Unification has not publicly announced the identity of the intelligence authorities behind the release.

The document also said the soil around the tunnel’s entrance appeared to have been brought in from another region and has been growing in amount since March.

“In the past, North Korea has replenished its tunnels with soil as a final preparation before its nuclear tests,” the press release stated.

The press release also noted that North Korea carried out its first nuclear test three months after the 2006 launch of the Taepodong-2 missile, and another unexpected test a month after its long-range missile launch in 2009.

They added that North Korea had hinted at the possibility of a third test in a Mar. 23 foreign ministry spokesperson’s statement on long-range missile launch plans.

But intelligence indicating that North Korea was digging or had dug a tunnel for a third nuclear test was announced in press reports quoting government sources in February and June 2011. A Unification Ministry official said, “North Korea’s nuclear test preparations took place after its second test in 2009, and there was discussion of it last year.” This means the only new information in the press release was a photograph of the soil piled up in the Punggye-ri area.

In announcing that North Korea was expected to carry out a nuclear test on the heels of its upcoming missile launch, intelligence authorities acknowledged that the nuclear test is not expected to take place immediately. Prior to the press release, their only message to the Unification Ministry spokesperson’s office and press room was that they would be sending materials “in connection with the North Korean long-range missile launch,” without any mention of information about nuclear testing.

“There wasn’t anything special in this latest announcement,” said University of North Korean Studies professor Yang Mu-jin.

“The Lee Myung-bak administration‘s attempts to use inter-Korean relations to rally conservatives during an election are truly outrageous,” Yang added.

An intelligence official responded, “North Korean nuclear test is a major and urgent security issue, so we didn’t take into account political issues such as the general elections.”

The official added, “We can‘t draw any conclusion as to whether the ruling party or opposition stands to gain from ‘exploiting the North Korea issue.’”

When asked whether any discussions had taken place with the Blue House on the information’s release, the official said, “I can’t disclose that.”

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]