By Sun Wei

Apparently following through on its threats to step up nuclear and missile tests in response to UN sanctions, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has intensified activities at weapons sites, according to the Seoul-based Chosun Ilbo newspaper yesterday.

A notable increase in vehicles and people has been reported in the northeastern county of Kilju, where the DPRK carried out its first atomic test in October 2006. And more equipment and personnel were brought to the new launch site at Dongchang-ri, the daily newspaper quoted a government official as saying Wednesday. “It’s hard to forecast the timing for an underground nuclear test but the DPRK is believed to be ready to do so at short notice,” the unnamed official said.

“It is an action in accordance with its previous threatening words,” Cui Zhiying, director of the Department of Asia-Pacific Studies at Tongji University, told the Global Times. “The DPRK has long been working on a breakthrough in nuclear techniques.”

The Times Online reported on April 24 that an increasing number of authoritative experts, including the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, are admitting that the DPRK has miniaturized nuclear warheads enough to launch them on medium-range missiles, which is different from the US official statement.

However, Russia believes the DPRK has crude nuclear devices, not the nuclear weapons, according to Cui. “The varied opinions on whether the DPRK is a fully fledged nuclear power result from different perspectives and materials available,” he said. “It still takes time for the DPRK to successfully mount the nuclear devices on weapons.”

The DPRK’s intensified efforts on nuclear development are aimed at putting more significance on any future US-DPRK talks, according to Wang Weimin, assistant director of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University.

“The normalization of the US-DPRK relationship is Pyongyang’s final goal,” Cui said, adding that the DPRK believes the outside security environment will therefore be in favor of it, given that “Japan and the Republic of Korea will follow the US.” However, direct negotiations between the US and the DPRK can’t be realized in the short time, according to Cai Jian, vice director of the Center for Korea Studies at Fudan University.

A US envoy for the DPRK arrived in Beijing yesterday afternoon to seek support from the four regional powers to revive the stalled six-party talks for denuclearizing the DPRK.

President Barack Obama spoke by phone late Wednesday with Chinese President Hu Jintao and shared his concerns over security issues, including those regarding the DPRK’s nuclear program, the White House said.

“The restart of the six-party talks faces difficulty at the moment, but it has a positive future,” Cui said, emphasizing that it is the only way to maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.