North Korea is ready for its seventh nuclear test and is preparing to launch a long-range missile capable of reaching the United States, South Korean military intelligence agency officials warned during a private hearing with lawmakers.
The information was announced by the South Korea’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) during the National Intelligence Committee’s audit of the National Assembly on October 30, 2024, as reported by Khan, a Korean news outlet the same day.
The missile could be launched around the US presidential election on November 5, 2024, officials added.
“It appears that preparations for ICBM-class long-range ballistic missiles, including space launch vehicles, are almost complete,” South Korea’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) stated in the hearing. “Preparations for the mobile missile launcher (TEL) have been completed and deployed in a specific area.”
North Korea completed the first successful test-fire of a Hwasong-18 missile on July 12, 2023. The Hwasong-18 is a long-range, three-stage ballistic missile and the first solid-fueled ICBM developed by North Korea.
Additionally, the military agency reported that some North Korean troops sent to Russia might have reached the front lines as they get ready to head to the Kursk region.
“It seems probable that some advanced troops were sent to the front. It is true that the movement to the battlefield such as Kursk is imminent,” the agency stated.
However, its officials added that “there is still no accurate information that the deployed North Korean troops are on the front line.”
The agency said the relationship between North Korea and Russia is “fundamentally changing to a blood relationship” and that they are “exchanging support to strengthen each other’s defense capabilities.”
“In particular, we believe that North Korea will not only adopt Russia’s space and cutting-edge military technology, but also modernize its conventional forces,” the Defense Intelligence Headquarters stated.