While the United States has its eyes on Iran, North Korea is taking advantage of this lack of attention to accelerate its military program and strengthen its nuclear capabilities, according to analysts.
Since the start of the war triggered by Amercian-Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic on February 28, Pyongyang has conducted five missile tests, including four in April, a monthly record since January 2024, as reported by AFP.
Specialists interviewed by AFP see these tests as a sign of a North Korea eager to flex its muscles at a time when power dynamics and rules are being disrupted by conflicts, especially in the Middle East.
“The current global security landscape has turned into a +lawless zone+ where existing international norms no longer function,” summarized Lim Eul-chul from Kyungnam University in South Korea for AFP.
“North Korea is exploiting this gap (…) to finalize its nuclear arsenal.”
This acceleration began shortly after the ruling party’s congress in February to define national directions.
The timing suggests that Pyongyang wants to “highlight concrete progress” in its military capabilities, stated Hong Min from the Korean Institute for National Unification for AFP.
During this five-yearly gathering, leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed that his country’s nuclear status is “irreversible and permanent.” North Korea argues that its military programs aim to deter any attempts to overthrow its government, a project it has attributed to the United States for decades.
The recent North Korean tests involved ballistic missiles, a type of weapon under sanctions, as well as anti-ship cruise missiles and tactical missiles with submunitions.
Analysts note technical advancements and a growing mastery of dual-use weapons, conventional and nuclear.
Through its military momentum, North Korea seeks to demonstrate the strength and benefits of its alliance with Russia, which has provided economic and technical aid in exchange for North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine.
“It is an attempt to show that it has a powerful ally in Russia despite pressure from the United States and China, effectively rendering sanctions obsolete,” explained Lim.
Recent high-level exchanges between the two countries saw the inauguration of the first road bridge connecting them and the start of a “friendship hospital” construction in the North Korean city of Wonsan.
The North Korean ambassador in Moscow even discussed potential agricultural cooperation in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, controlled by Russia.
“North Korea is one of the few countries that would not hesitate to operate in occupied Ukraine, and both parties benefit from this situation,” said Fyodor Tertitskiy, a North Korea specialist at the University of Korea in Seoul.
