A commercial satellite image by 38 North shows North Korean troops preparing for a military parade in Pyongyang. Yonhap

Pyongyang anxious about no action from US

By Kang Seung-woo

North Korea appears to have increased its provocative military activities on purpose in a bid to get the attention of the Joe Biden administration, according to Pyongyang watchers.

According to 38 North, a U.S.-based website specializing in the North Korean regime, troop formations were observed earlier last week at Mirim Airport in Pyongyang, raising speculation that the country is preparing for a military parade ahead of its state and ruling party founding anniversaries on Sept. 9 and Oct. 10, respectively. The airfield has served as a rehearsal ground for large-scale military parades.

"This could indicate an upcoming military parade in Oct, as we saw in 2020," it said on Twitter, Thursday.

"The unification ministry will closely watch any signs, without prematurely determining, for the possibility of the North holding a military parade," Cha Deok-cheol, deputy spokesperson of the unification ministry, told a regular press briefing, Friday.

The observation by a commercial satellite image followed a recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report indicating that North Korea has restarted its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon.

However, some are questioning whether North Korea intentionally displayed its activities to pressure the United States to re-focus on its nuclear issue given that it could have hidden the activity of the nuclear reactor by operating it underground. Currently, Washington is busy grappling with the fallout from its withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"Both the nuclear reactor and preparations for a military parade are North Korea's way of showing off to gain an upper hand in future negotiations with the U.S.," said Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha Womans University.

"They are safe yet effective measures to pressure the U.S."

On Thursday, the North Korean foreign ministry issued a statement denouncing the U.S. policy toward the totalitarian state for adopting the "strategic patience" policy once pursued by the Obama administration.

The policy meant no engagement with the reclusive state as long as its leadership persisted with nuclear weapons development and ballistic missile testing, but many critics say the policy failed to address the North's growing nuclear and missile programs.

"A typical example is that of a Member of the European Parliament from a political party of the Netherlands, which censured the current U.S. administration for following the strategic patience policy," it said via the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

"He ridiculed the United States for acting stupidly while impatiently waiting for the collapse of the DPRK till now even in the face of the great pressure from the Afghan crisis."

The DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the official name of North Korea.

Park said the North Korean regime may be anxious about the U.S. negligence over its issue.

"North Korea may be fretting about no action from the U.S.," the professor said.

In fact, Noh Kyu-duk, South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator, met with his U.S. counterpart Sung Kim earlier this week following the IAEA report, but they did not issue a statement on the issue.

"Given that North Korea is well aware that the Biden administration will not get drawn into Pyongyang's intention, the North is likely to be jittery about it," Park added.