North Korea may conduct nuclear test after US election: Spy agency

Seoul, Sep 26 (IANS) North Korea may carry out its seventh nuclear test after the US presidential vote in November, South Korea's spy agency was quoted as telling lawmakers Thursday.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) made the assessment to the parliamentary intelligence committee, saying Pyongyang has other options, such as an intercontinental ballistic missile test, according to Rep. Lee Seong-Kweun of the ruling People Power Party and Rep. Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party.

The NIS also reported that the North possesses around 70 kilograms of plutonium and a significant amount of highly enriched uranium (HEU), which is sufficient to build a two-digit number of nuclear weapons.

The agency said the North appears to have the US election in mind when it disclosed an HEU facility for the first time earlier this month. The disclosure could also be targeted at instilling confidence in the domestic audience struggling with the country's crippling economy, the NIS reported.

"Externally, it can be interpreted as a move conscious of the US ahead of its presidential election, while internally it appears to be an attempt to boost confidence among the population amid the extremely dire economic situation," Lee said, Yonhap news agency reported.

Earlier this month, North Korean state media publicly disclosed details of its uranium enrichment facility for the first time in the form of leader Kim Jong-un's visit there, but it did not disclose the location of the facility or date of Kim's visit.

As to the facility's location, the NIS said it is likely to be the Kangson nuclear complex near Pyongyang, though it is hard to give a definite answer.

The agency said the North's test launch of new tactical ballistic missiles on Sept. 18 was aimed at verifying its precision strike capability. One of the two missiles fired successfully reached the target, the NIS said, calling it a "slight improvement from the past."