Kim Jong Un Said To Closely Watch US Midterms With Hope Pinned On Trump's Return As US President

North Korean experts believe Kim Jong Un may not rush his seventh nuclear test before the U.S. midterm elections, given Pyongyang's medium- and long-term strategy.

What Happened: The South Korean National Intelligence Service told the country's parliament in May that Pyongyang had completed preparations at Tunnel 3 of its Punggye-ri nuclear test site, according to Nikkei Asia — but it has been holding off from the seventh test. 

See Also: Trump Showed 'Love Letters' From Kim Jong Un To Journalist Knowing They Were 'Top Secret:' Report

"Kim must be keeping a close watch on the U.S. midterm elections, as he expects little from [President Joe Biden] and pins his hopes on Donald Trump's comeback as U.S. president," a senior South Korean official who had been involved in negotiations between the two Korean peninsular countries told the publication. 

The report noted that Kim is watching out for the U.S. midterm elections, where the former president's prospects of winning the 2024 Republican nomination may get a boost if his favored candidates perform well in the midterms.

"North Korea may focus on bolstering its nuclear capability by 2023 in the hopes of striking a big deal with Trump if he wins the 2024 presidential election," Kwak Gil-sup, professor at Kookmin University in Seoul and former analyst at the NIS, told the publication.

Trump and Kim shared a close relationship during the former president's time in office, a dozen "love letters" exchanged between him and the North Korean leader, recently retrieved by the authorities from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida suggest.

In his letters, Kim reportedly expressed his willingness to discuss his isolated country's denuclearization with Trump, while sidelining Moon Jae In, the South Korean president at the time.

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