North Korea has completed preparations for a nuclear test and is awaiting the best time to carry it out, a South Korean lawmaker said on the eve of US President Joe Biden's visit to Seoul.
Read also“Fever” in North Korea: why the situation is worrying
Despite the recent wave of Covid-19 in North Korea, "
preparations for a nuclear test have been completed and they are only looking for the right time
" to carry it out, MK Ha Tae-keung told reporters, citing Seoul National Intelligence Service information.
Satellite images indicate that North Korea is preparing to conduct a nuclear test, and the United States and South Korea have been warning for weeks that the test could take place at any time.
Read also Famine in North Korea: “People are disappearing from villages”
Joe Biden arrives in Seoul late Friday for a series of summits, his first trip to Asia as president.
"
Our intelligence reflects the real possibility
" of nuclear-capable missile testing or a nuclear weapon test at the time of Joe Biden's trip, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Wednesday.
North Korea announced its first Covid cases last week, and is now reporting several hundred thousand "
fever
" cases a day.
Several experts believe that a nuclear test could help divert public attention from the epidemic.