Well-known new Chinese news site The Paper recently reported that on January 9, North Korea’s supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, delivered a speech at the Eighth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea describing the current relationship with South Korea as “on the brink of collapse.” Coupled with the speech, North Korea has been publishing information about its plans for tactical nuclear weapons, nuclear submarines, multiple warhead technology and hypersonic missiles. The message to the outside world is that North Korea will continue its nuclear ambitions and the work is focusing on nuclear weapon reliability and the expansion of tactical options. Researchers from the American Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences indicated that Kim is trying to send signals to the new U.S. administration and to firm up North Korea’s “bargaining chips.” The intent is to mount pressure on the U.S. and to demonstrate that North Korea is not eager to go back to the negotiation table, especially when Biden’s previous position was not to meet with Kim unconditionally.
Source: The Paper, January 12, 2021
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_10754474