SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared an end to moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and threatened a demonstration of a “new strategic weapon” soon. Analysts said the announcement, reported by state media on Wednesday, amounted to Kim putting a missile “to Donald Trump’s head” — but warned that escalation by Pyongyang would probably backfire. Pyongyang has previously fired missiles capable of reaching the entire US mainland, and has carried out six nuclear tests, the last of them 16 times the size of the Hiroshima blast, according to the highest estimates. The full meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers’ Party was an indication of a major policy shift. The broadcast appeared to stand in place of Kim’s usual New Year speech — normally a key moment in the North Korean political calendar.

Source: Manila Times January 01, 2020 04:19 UTC