NK Under Scrutiny

[Anchor Lead]

In the midst of high tensions and fiery rhetoric out of Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a shoe factory. Meanwhile a North Korean propaganda organization has threatened to launch a sudden attack. According to international media, live ammunition has been supplied to the North's military and secret police. North Korea’s moves will be under close scrutiny in the run-up to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tour of Northeast Asia next month.

[Pkg]

A smiling North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrives at a shoe factory together with his sister Kim Yo-jong and close aides. His wife Ri Sol-ju is also seen talking with members of the entourage. She also stands next to her husband in a group photo.

[Soundbite] (Korean Central TV (N. Korea, Oct. 19)) : "The supreme leader has inspected the transformed Ryuwon shoe plant with his wife Ri Sol-ju."

Kim Jong-un has waged consecutive provocations including missile launches since the Moon Jae-in government took yoffice in South Korea. The provocations came in intervals of as short as 7 days and 29 days at the longest. However Pyongyang has been silent since the Hwasong-12 missile launch last month. There were no provocations on politically significant days including the founding anniversary of the North Korean ruling party and the opening day of the Chinese Communist Party's congress. Instead, the young leader has appeared making field inspections to a farm, educational institute and a factory for over a month now.

[Soundbite] Choi Gang(Asan Institute for Policy Studies) : "The North may be sparing itself until it firmly secures its nuclear deterrence."

Meanwhile a North Korean propaganda organization has denounced joint maritime drills between South Korea and the US as well as the deployment of US strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula. It threatened to deliver an inconceivable strike. Japanese media said that in response to the South Korea-US drills, North Korea has begun to provide live ammunition to its military and secret police and that the regime is ready to launch ballistic missiles at any time.