Kim Jong-dae: "Ballistic missile launch is the preliminaries... Next month's ROK-US joint exercise is the main event"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Former Justice Party lawmaker and military security expert Kim Jong-dae predicted that North Korea's recent consecutive ballistic missile launches are at the preliminary level, and that next month's South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises will be the main event.

On the 20th, Kim said on MBC's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' program, "By showing some preemptive military actions in advance, they are sending a message beforehand that 'even if joint exercises are conducted in the future, we will not back down.'"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He added, "When the (South Korea-U.S.) joint exercises actually begin, North Korea fired a total of 73 missiles last year, so there is a possibility they will come out with some overwhelming response like that," and "Judging by last year's behavior and the anti-U.S. struggle mentioned earlier this year or Kim Yo-jong's (Deputy Director of the Workers' Party) statement, it seems they intend to just fire without hesitation."

Kim Yo-jong warned on the 19th through a statement, "We still have no intention to deal with South Korean things," and "We will closely monitor every hostile action of the enemy and respond accordingly to all hostile acts against us with very strong and overwhelming countermeasures."

Questions have also been raised about the number of missiles North Korea needs for an overwhelming response. Regarding this, former lawmaker Kim said, "According to the current instructions from Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party, North Korea is ordered to convert all its missiles to solid-fuel missiles. However, more than 90% of the missiles North Korea currently possesses are liquid-fuel missiles," adding, "Replacing all of these takes time and astronomical budgets, but depending on the degree of conversion, they quickly dispose of the remaining stock weapons."

This is a kind of 'warehouse clearance' concept. He said, "They intend to consume all of these and move on to new missiles," and "It should be seen as being in the process of conversion to (solid-fuel missiles)."

Although Kim Yo-jong was once suspected of losing status due to being overshadowed by Kim Jong-un's daughter Kim Ju-ae, this statement confirmed that she remains influential. Former lawmaker Kim said, "The position of the Deputy Director of the Workers' Party, who still oversees inter-Korean and U.S. policies, remains unchanged," and "This was clearly shown in this statement as well, and while she may be somewhat overshadowed as a central figure of the 'sacred family,' she still maintains her status in official activities and official titles."