Envoy says US, allies preparing for N. Korean nuclear test

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By KIM TONG-HYUNG

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — President Joe Biden’s special envoy for North Korea said Friday the United States is “preparing for all contingencies” in close coordination with its South Korean and Japanese allies as it monitors North Korean arrangements for a possible nuclear test explosion that outside officials say could be imminent.

South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials have said they detected North Korean efforts to prepare its northeastern testing ground for another nuclear test, which would be its seventh since 2006 and the first since September 2017, when it claimed to have detonated a thermonuclear bomb to fit on its intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, was in Seoul for a trilateral meeting with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts to discuss the growing threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles programs.

“The U.S. assesses that the DPRK is preparing at its Punggye-ri test site for what would be its seventh nuclear test. This assessment is consistent with the DPRK’s own recent public statements,” said Kim, using the initials of North Korea’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.



Sung Kim, U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea, speaks during a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Kim Gunn and Japanese counterpart Takehiro Funakoshi at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea Friday, June 3, 2022. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-covid-health-a3572a1680056586dd6cfc2f918fddaa

[Warpy]

1. Their one successful test destroyed their testing facility

lowering the height of the mountain it occurred in by several inches, per satellite data.

They've had time to dig another tunnel and inaction on Covid has made Li'l Kim desperate for a distraction, so yeah, shoot off another glorious firecracker to distract from the inept Dear Leader.

The last one pissed the Chinese off enough to halt N. Korean cloth exports, their only legitimate moneymaker. China doesn't want a crazed dictator with nukes on its doorstep, even if he's temporarily friendly.

[soryang]

2. Holiday O

Holiday O
BY: JAMES CHURCH
JUNE 3, 2022

https://www.38north.org/2022/06/holiday-o/

Looking at this James Church spoof just posted at 38 North after a lengthy hiatus, maybe Sung Kim should go to Geneva for some back channeling. He's the most competent diplomat in this field. Instead he's still acting as the South Korean control officer, which isn't necessary anymore with the reactionary hardliner Yoon Seok-yeol in power in South Korea. Yoon is also chin il pa, pro-Japanese, which really makes Sung Kim's participation overkill (if you'll pardon the expression). Loved O's reference to South Pacific.

Nations protest as North Korea takes presidency of Conference on Disarmament.

...North Korea assumed the rotating presidency of the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament, and its ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Han Tae-song, opened the session speaking of the "honor and privilege" of having the presidency.

"My delegation takes the role of the presidency seriously," he said explaining this was the second time for North Korea to hold the presidency.

"And I assure you of our readiness to work closely with all members of the conference in an open, transparent, inclusive manner and to make constructive contributions to make tangible progress in this year," he added.

The Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament calls itself "the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community" and plays a crucial role in nuclear disarmament efforts.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/nations-protest-as-north-korea-takes-presidency-of-conference-on-disarmament/2604330