In a statement made on Saturday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol suggested that North Korea’s recent revelation of a nuclear facility was likely a tactic to capture the attention of the United States ahead of the upcoming presidential election on November 5th.
“North Korea seems to have recently disclosed its nuclear facility in order to draw attention from the United States and the international community in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election. It is likely that North Korea will carry out additional provocations such as nuclear tests and ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) launches,” Yoon asserted.
Concerns regarding North Korea’s actions have intensified in recent weeks. The country unveiled a secretive uranium-enrichment facility, pledged to expand its nuclear arsenal, and continued its series of missile tests. Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a stark warning, threatening to destroy South Korea with nuclear weapons if provoked.
Many international experts believe that North Korea aims to leverage its expanding nuclear capabilities for concessions, such as sanctions relief, following the election of a new U.S. president. Analysts speculate that Kim may perceive a potential victory by Republican candidate Donald Trump—who previously engaged in high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with Kim in 2018-19—as more advantageous than a win by Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. During his campaign, Trump emphasized his personal rapport with Kim, while Harris has stated she would not “cozy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong Un who are rooting for Trump.”
The disclosure of the nuclear site on September 13 exemplified Kim’s defiance against U.S.-led efforts to curb North Korea’s advancing nuclear program. This marked the first unveiling of a weapons-grade uranium production facility since North Korea showcased a similar site at its Yongbyon complex to American scholars in 2010. Notably, nuclear physicist Siegfried Hecker indicated that the recently displayed centrifuge hall differed from the one he observed back in 2010.
While Yoon refrained from commenting on whether South Korea had detected any suspicious activities indicating preparations for nuclear and ICBM tests, he emphasized that the South Korean government is vigilantly monitoring North Korea’s movements through combined intelligence and surveillance assets with the United States.
Since Yoon took office in 2022, he has prioritized strengthening military ties with the U.S. as a cornerstone of his foreign policy to address North Korea’s nuclear threats. He has also sought to enhance trilateral security cooperation with Japan. However, these efforts have provoked ire from North Korea, which has branded Yoon a “traitor” and dismissed his overtures for dialogue.
As concerns linger regarding the future of the South Korea-U.S. alliance should Trump return to the White House, Yoon expressed confidence in the enduring strength of this partnership. He stated, “There is firm bipartisan support for the ROK-U.S. alliance in the United States,” asserting that both leading Democrats and Republicans continue to support and engage in consultations to strengthen bilateral relations.
Yoon further noted that North Korea’s nuclear threats against South Korea aim to create internal divisions and tighten its domestic control amid heightened military tensions on the Korean Peninsula. “The North Korean regime’s past claim that its nuclear development was never intended to target the Republic of Korea has been debunked,” he concluded.
