Generational Dynamics World View

[John J. Xenakis]

** 17-Apr-2019 World View: North Korea claims new 'tactical weapon' test

On Thursday morning, North Korea's KCNA (Korean Central News
Agency) reports that the child dictator Kim Jong-un had
overseen the testing of a new "tactical weapon."

The KCNA description is vague, but according to one analyst:

Quote:> "It’s highly likely that it’s a short-range cruise
> missile that can be transformed into a surface, an air-to-surface,
> an air-to-ship, a ship-to-ship, as well as a surface-to-surface
> cruise missile."

Here's the full KCNA announcement:

Quote:> "Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Guides Test-Fire of
> New-Type Tactical Guided Weapon

> Pyongyang, April 18 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the
> Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission
> of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and supreme commander
> of the Armed Forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,
> supervised and guided a test-fire of a new-type tactical guided
> weapon conducted by the Academy of Defence Science on Wednesday.

> Looking round the new-type tactical guided weapon, Kim Jong Un was
> told by officials concerned of the Academy of Defence Science
> about the formation of the weapon system and its operation mode.

> Saying that the completion of the development of the weapon system
> serves as an event of very weighty significance in increasing the
> combat power of the People's Army, he noted that it is a very good
> thing that the field of national defence science has waged a
> dynamic struggle for attaining core research goals set forth by
> the Party at the 8th Conference of Munitions Industry and thus
> conducted brisk activities for developing our own style weapon
> system which embodies four elements.

> He mounted an observation post to learn about a plan of the
> test-fire of the new-type tactical guided weapon and guided the
> test-fire.

> The design indexes of the tactical guided weapon whose advantages
> are appreciated for the peculiar mode of guiding flight and the
> load of a powerful warhead were perfectly verified at the
> test-fire conducted in various modes of firing at different
> targets.

> After watching the power of the new-type tactical guided weapon,
> he pointed out that our national defence scientists and workers in
> the field of the munitions industry performed another great work
> in increasing the country's defence capabilities, saying with
> pride that he had always been struck with admiration at them in
> the period of developing strategic weapon and our scientists,
> technicians and workers are, indeed, great and there is no weapon
> impossible to make when they are determined to do.

> He set the phased and strategic goals for keeping munitions
> production going on and putting national defence science and
> technology on cutting edge level and indicated detailed tasks and
> ways to attain them.

> He was accompanied by Kim Phyong Hae, O Su Yong, Jo Yong Won, Ri
> Pyong Chol, Kim Jong Sik and other senior officials of the Party
> Central Committee and commanding officers of the Korean People's
> Army including Kim Su Gil, Ri Yong Gil, No Kwang Chol, Pak Jong
> Chon and Pak Kwang Ju. -0-

> (2019.04.18)"

North Korea appears to be struggling to decide what diplomatic steps
to take next. All signs indicate that both the North Korean
denuclearization negotiators and the Chinese trade negotiators were
completely shocked when Donald Trump walked out of the summit meeting
with Kim Jong-un in Hanoi on February 28. Kim had taken a long
three-day railroad train trip from Pyongyang, through China, to Hanoi
for the meeting, apparently expecting to reap the benefits of his
year-long 2018 charm offensive by getting Trump to agree to reduce the
sanctions in return for phony denuclearization steps. Instead, Trump
presented Kim with a list of real denuclearization steps, including
the simplest step of all -- just providing a piece of paper listing
all of North Korea's nuclear and missile development sites. Kim
refused and Trump left, leaving Kim to take a three-day train trip
back to Pyongyang in humiliation.

On the other hand, North Korea has continued developing nuclear
weapons and long-range ballistic missiles, but hasn't been able
to test them during the year-long charm offensive. They could
now restart nuclear weapons and missile testing, but they
don't know what kind of response that would bring from the Trump
administration. Trump has not taken a military response off
the table.

So Thursday's announcement of a "tacticle weapon test" seems to
be just enough to annoy the Trump administration, without drawing
a major response.

Kim Jong-un is also expected to hold a summit meeting with Russia's
president Vladimir Putin next week, on April 24. The meeting is the
response to a formal invitation that the Russian government sent on
April 3. The meeting will take place in Russia's Far East, near the
North Korean border.

--- Sources:


-- Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Guides Test-Fire of New-Type Tactical
Guided Weapon
http://www.kcna.kp/
(KCNA)

-- State media says new tactical weapons test overseen by North Korean
leader
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-north...SKCN1RT2KY
(Reuters, 17-Apr-2019)

-- North Korean, Russian leaders may hold summit next week
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20190415000760
(Korea Herald, 15-Apr-2019)