State media KCNA reported that North Korean President Kim Jong Un said the missile launch was a success and that his country’s superiority in nuclear weapons development could not be ignored.
KCNA reported that the missile flew a distance of 1,001.2 km for 5,156 seconds and reached an altitude of 7,687.5 km before landing in the sea off the east coast of the Korean peninsula. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff revealed that North Korea had test-fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea early on Thursday.

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Now South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has ordered at least two people executed, banned fishing at sea and locked down the capital, Pyongyang, as part of extreme efforts to guard against the coronavirus and its economic damage. This comes after the South Korean lawmakers attended a private meeting by the spy agency National Intelligence Service(NIS) .

The agency further stated that Kim Jong-Un-led government has also directed the diplomats overseas to avoid doing anything that could provoke the United States as the supreme leader is worried about President-elect Joe Biden’s approach towards North Korea.

One of the lawmakers, Ha Tae-Kung, further added that according to NIS Kim is displaying “excessive anger” and taking “irrational measures” over the pandemic and its economic impact.

A high-profile money changer from Pyongyang was executed in North Korea last month after being held responsible for a slight decrease in exchange rate. Further, a key official was also executed in August for reportedly violating government rules that restrict goods brought from abroad.

North Korean also banned fishing and salt production at sea to prevent sea water from being infected with the virus. However, there is no information about whether the ban applied to all North Korean waters or whether it was still in effect.

NIS also said that North Korea also made a hacking attempt on at least one South Korean pharmaceutical company that was trying to develop a coronavirus vaccine, though it was unsuccessful.

Recently,North Korea imposed lockdown in Pyongang and Northern Jagang province in November. The COVID-19 lockdown was further extended to several areas of North Korea where unauthorised goods and foreign currencies were found.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in January , North Korea was forced to seal the border with its major trading partners and aid benefactor, China. North Korea and China’s trade has dropped drastically as compared to 2019 as it has totalled to about $530 million which just 25% of last years figures. A lawmaker also quoted the NIS saying that the sugar and seasoning price in North Korea has shot up four times.

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The UAE has been re-elected to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, (IAEA) for the period 2020 to 2022 at this year’s annual General Conference of the agency. The move reflects the confidence of the international community in the constructive role of the UAE in the mission and mandate of the Vienna-based organisation, WAM reported quoting a senior UAE official.

The Board of Governors is one of the main policy-making bodies of the IAEA, along with the annual General Conference. The 35-member board examines and makes recommendations to the General Conference on the IAEA’s financial statements, programme and budget. It considers applications for membership, approves safeguards agreements and the publication of the agency’s safety standards.
The board also considers ongoing verification reports such as those of Iran’s and North Korea‘s compliance.

The board generally meets five times a year – once in March, June and November, and twice in September.

The UAE had previously occupied the seat from 2016 to 2018, from 2013 to 2015 and from 2010-2012.

Hamad Al Kaabi, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the IAEA, said the UAE’s election to the IAEA’s Board underscores the confidence of the international community in the active role of the UAE in the international nuclear policy-making process. ”The move also underlines the global appreciation for the UAE’s successful efforts and its responsible approach towards the development of a peaceful nuclear energy programme,” he added.

The UAE recently started its first nuclear power reactor, thus developing its peaceful nuclear energy programme in a responsible manner. Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant achieved 50 per cent of its electricity production capacity last week. Throughout the development of its nuclear power programme, the UAE ensured it fully complied and adhered to the highest standards of safety, security and non-proliferation. The UAE is the first Arab country to develop and operate a nuclear power plant.

The UAE is a party to all relevant conventions and agreements in the area of nuclear safety, nuclear security, and safeguards. The country has been an active member of the IAEA since 1976 with a long standing policy in support of the Agency’s role in promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and facilitating access of peaceful nuclear technology to member states.

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Ever since the outbreak was first reported from China, North Korea has not confirmed a single case of disease till now.

US Forces Korea (USFK) commander Robert Abrams in an interview said: “ They’ve got North Korean SOF (Special Operations Forces) out there. Strike forces, they got shoot-to-kill orders in place. The regime right now – the military – is focused principally on getting their country recovered and to help mitigate the risk of COVID-19.

Since January, Pyongyang has closed its border with China in order to prevent contamination. In fact, in July the state media stated that the country had raised its state of emergency to the maximum level.

The border closure had effectively “accelerated the effects” of economic sanctions imposed on the North over its nuclear programs, the USFK Commander said. He also said that the imports from China is plunging 85 percent.

The isolated country is also grappling with the aftermath of Typhoon Maysak, with its state media reporting more than 2,000 houses have been destroyed.

As a result, Abrams did not expect to see any major provocations from Pyongyang in the near future.
The regime right now is focused primarily on getting their country recovered and to help mitigate the risk of Covid-19.

But a recent satellite image of North Korea’s Snipo South Naval shipyard, which experts believe shows activity that could indicate preparations for a test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

A new North Korean missile test would be yet another sign of the lack of progress in denuclearization talks between the US and Pyongyang, which have been stalled despite multiple meetings between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

People on social media had a few things to say about this order.

Well…I won't be vacationing there anytime soon!

North Korea issues shoot-to-kill orders to prevent virus: US https://t.co/hRbuAXg305 via @Yahoo

— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) September 11, 2020

They are taking a direct shot at the virus. https://t.co/N5YTfFFVLS

— Abhimanyu (@ManyuF4F) September 11, 2020

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As Kim Jong-un is fighting for his life, his sister Kim Yo-Jong will be soon throned to power as the North Korean supreme leader. Recently, it has been claimed that Kim Jong-un has delegated several of his powers to his sister to reduce stress.

In the meantime, Roy Calley, a journalist who shares close connections with Pyongyang has claimed that Kim Jong-un could already be dead. Calley made these remarks while talking exclusively to Express.co.uk.

” I honestly believe he’s dead but you just can’t tell with that country. The fact that there is so much information /misinformation being released suggests there is something happening. With everything else the government is very specific with their statements but never when it comes to the leaders,” said Calley.

This is not the first time that uncertainties regarding Kim Jong-un’s health is puzzling global political experts. A few months back, Reuters had reported that Kim Jong-un was seriously ill following a failed cardiac procedure. Kim, at that time, did not attend the 108th birthday celebrations of his late grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, and it made many believe that something is not well with the supreme leader.

However, a few days later, Kim made a public appearance in a fertilizer factory near Pyongyang. Later, South Korean government officials also admitted that there was no indication of a medical procedure conducted on Kim’s body.

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The decision to postpone plans for military action against the South was brought up by the leader during a virtual meeting of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK).It said that other talks including bolstering the country’s “war deterrent ” was discussed. Analysts say North Korea after weeks of raising tensions is just trying to make room for South Korean concessions.

Yoh Sang-key, spokesman of South Korea’s Unification Ministry, said Seoul was closely considering the prevailing situation but didn’t further elaborate details. Yoh also said this was the first report in state media of Kim holding a video conferencing meeting, but he didn’t provide a clear answer on whether that would have something to do with the coronavirus.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Kim’s decision to hold back military action would affect the country’s plans for leafleting. The North’s military had said it would open border areas on land and sea and provide protection for civilians involved in the leafleting campaigns.

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