North Korea is ‘racing towards the nuclear finish line’ 10 years after carrying out first crude test

North Korea conducted its first nuclear test exactly 10 years ago on Sunday, exploding a crude atomic bomb and crossing what had long been considered a “red line”. A decade of condemnation, sanctions and ostracism later, the regime in Pyongyang has not pulled back. Far from it.

Today, the country has a demonstrated nuclear weapons programme, has made clear progress with missiles and is widely assumed to be able to put the two together. The only real question now is whether North Korea can deliver a nuclear-tipped missile to a target, and that is not much of a question. If it cannot yet, it will soon, analysts say.

“[North Korea is] racing towards the nuclear finish line,” as Van Jackson, associate professor at the Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies, a Pentagon think tank in Hawaii, puts it.

The next demonstration of leader Kim Jong-un’s intent could come as soon as Monday. October 10 is the anniversary of the establishment of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party – an event celebrated with fanfare – and Pyongyang likes to time its provocations. Last month’s nuclear test was carried out on North Korea’s Foundation Day.

As a bonus, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will be taking to the stage for their second debate on Monday morning Korea time.

Preparations for another test could be underway. The latest commercial satellite imagery shows activity at all three tunnels leading into the nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, analyst Jack Liu wrote Thursday on 38 North, a website devoted to North Korea. Even if North Korea lets Monday pass, there still may be fireworks before the year is out.