Analysts predict a lull in North Korea’s frenzy of military drills during the Beijing Winter Olympics, after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent “warm congratulations” to Beijing on Friday.
North Korean state media indicated that the communist leader sent “warm congratulations” to Chinese President Xi Jinping for the opening of the Olympic Games on Friday “despite the global health crisis and unprecedented difficult circumstances.”
“The Olympic torch burning in Beijing clearly demonstrates that there is no difficulty or challenge that prevents the Chinese people from moving forward steadily,” Kim said in his message according to the state news agency KCNA.
Analysts see in this message a sign that the isolated communist regime will stop the series of weapons tests launched during the last month, in which it carried out seven different tests.
North Korea’s tests in January caused “a lot of discomfort” in Beijing, Cheong Seong-chang, of the Center for North Korea Studies at the Sejong Institute, told AFP.
“But since Kim Jong Un has sent a congratulatory message to Xi Jinping, China can hope that Pyongyang will desist from weapons tests during the Olympics,” he added.
It is “highly unlikely” that Pyongyang would “annoy” Beijing by launching missiles during the Games, agreed Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.
“China clearly does not want any military tension during the Games. In addition, the United Nations has urged all countries to respect a truce during the Olympic Games, which adds another layer of pressure,” he explained.
North Korea is barred from participating in Beijing 2022 due to a sanction from the International Olympic Committee for failing to send any athletes to the Tokyo Summer Games citing coronavirus concerns.