Kim Jong Un's 'Show Of Force' With Missiles Indicates North Korea Is No Longer Interested In Negotiations With US, Say Analysts

North Korea’s recent missile tests, which coincide with joint military exercises by China and Russia, are seen as a clear message that the country is no longer interested in diplomatic talks with the United States, according to analysts.

What Happened: The recent missile tests are being interpreted as a display of North Korea’s determination to expand its nuclear and conventional arsenal, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday.

North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced Thursday that a new tactical ballistic missile, the Hwasongpho-11-Da-4.5, had been successfully test-fired. This missile is designed to carry a 4.5-tonne conventional warhead. The missile was tested on Wednesday, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally oversaw the test.

In addition to the ballistic missile test, North Korea also conducted a test of a strategic cruise missile, which has been upgraded for enhanced combat use.

Defence expert Lee Il-woo from the Korea Defence Network called the missile tests a ” show of force.”

Analysts in Seoul have expressed growing concern that both political parties competing for the presidency in the U.S. may shift away from the long-standing goal of denuclearizing Pyongyang. Instead, there is speculation they may settle for freezing its nuclear program and preventing further proliferation.”

"North Korea doesn't see any possibility for negotiations with the United States in the near future," said Lim Eul-chul, a senior researcher at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies.

Eul-chul added that North Korea has a clear position on building their nuclear arsenal and while the U.S.’s return to the negotiation is ideal, it will not deter them from building a bigger arsenal.

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Why It Matters: The recent missile tests by North Korea are seen as a significant indicator of the country’s shifting stance on negotiations with the US. This comes in the wake of North Korea being ranked as Russia’s top ally in the Ukraine conflict, potentially signaling a shift in the geopolitical landscape of the region.

Kim Jong Un’s recent visit to a uranium enrichment facility and his call for increased production of weapons-grade uranium for “self-defense” also suggest a hardening of North Korea’s stance. This, combined with the missile tests, indicates a clear shift in North Korea’s approach to negotiations with the US. The U.S. has stressed that it will not accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed country, but recent developments suggest that North Korea is no longer interested in denuclearization.

Analysts have also raised concerns about the potential implications of North Korea’s growing ties with Russia, warning that this could embolden North Korea to engage in more provocative actions. The best response, according to U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, would be to strengthen trilateral security cooperation between the U.S., South Korea, and Japan.

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari