Trump deceives himself, Kim Jong-un keeps his promise

North Korea still secretly producing nuclear weapons?

According toDaily BeastFive months after US President Donald Trump declared the North Korean nuclear crisis over, Pyongyang may in fact still be quietly developing new nuclear weapons. Specifically, North Korea appears to be producing more nuclear warheads and missiles capable of carrying them in secret facilities across the country.

The report, released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on November 12, said that through images captured by commercial satellites, information from “defectors” and government officials, it can be determined that North Korea has 13 missile bases. In addition, North Korea has 7 other secret bases that are carefully hidden.

When asked about the CSIS report, a US State Department spokesman declined to comment.

“At these sites and others, North Korea continues to improve its nuclear fissile material, improve its ballistic missile capabilities, and potentially produce more nuclear warheads,” said Daryl Kimball, a nuclear expert at the Arms Control Association in Washington.

The New York Times has described the existence of the missile facilities as a “big lie” by North Korea. However, several experts told the Daily Beast that this view is completely wrong.

Experts say that North Korea is in fact doing exactly what it promised to do and that Pyongyang never promised to stop developing its nuclear arsenal. “There is no agreement between the United States and North Korea on nuclear disarmament,” Mr. Kimball pointed out.

Back in July 2017, North Korea first tested a long-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and reaching the US mainland. Two months later, in September 2017, North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test. At that time, US Defense Secretary James Mattis warned of a possible “major military response.”

After more than a year of escalating developments, in early 2018, the leaders of the United States and North Korea agreed to meet. As a “prelude” to a “new spring,” North Korea released American hostages, and immediately after the historic US-North Korea Summit in Singapore in June 2018, President Trump decided to suspend the annual large-scale US-South Korea military exercises that had been planned in advance.

Returning from Singapore, Mr. Trump enthusiastically declared to reporters that the nuclear issue had been resolved. “I solved that problem. Most of it is solved,” Mr. Trump said.

Trump deceives himself, Kim Jong-un does not break his promise?

North Korea has stopped launching long-range missiles and conducting no more nuclear tests, but according to Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, this is not the result of anything Mr. Trump did or of Pyongyang being threatened.

“Earlier this year, Kim Jong-un made it clear in a speech that North Korea had completed the nuclear and missile research and development phase and would now move on to what Kim called ‘mass production,’” Lewis told the Daily Beast.

The Trump-Kim summit in Singapore in June was a good sign but did not solve the root of the problem, according to the Daily Beast. In fact, the two sides did not have a real plan to end North Korea's nuclear weapons production and destroy its current arsenal, estimated at 50 warheads.

“There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea,” Mr. Trump declared “victory” immediately after returning from Singapore.

Analysts say that if this announcement by the US leader is not a lie, it reflects a deep misunderstanding of part of Kim Jong-un's plan and commitment. The North Korean leader has never agreed to give up his nuclear program, so it is "not surprising" that Pyongyang continues to produce nuclear warheads and missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

“Kim is not fooling anyone. If anything, Trump is fooling himself,” Lewis said.

According to Mr. Kimball, there is still a chance for the US and North Korea to resolve the issue when the North Korean leader really wants to officially end the state of war on the Korean Peninsula with a peace treaty and this is in the hands of the US.

“It wouldn’t cost us anything,” Kimball said, despite warnings from some analysts that a peace treaty would also require the United States to withdraw tens of thousands of troops from the Korean Peninsula.

“North Korea has asked for, called for, corresponding steps from the United States, an end to hostilities. However, they have not received what they wanted and so Pyongyang will continue to improve what they see as being able to help strengthen their defense capabilities,” Mr. Kimball concluded./.