Nuclear-armed North Korea unveiled a massive new missile over the weekend that some analysts believe could carry enough warheads to overwhelm existing missile defenses. But is this “new strategic weapon,” as North Korea has labeled it, merely a political ploy to increase Pyongyang’s leverage with Washington after next month’s U.S. presidential election?
Coming amid deadlocked denuclearization talks between the two countries, the rollout of the new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at a military parade Saturday marking the 75th anniversary of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party follows a time-tested pattern by Pyongyang as it seeks to gain the upper hand in negotiations.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.