On October 19, NK News published an article by Markus Garlauskas, the former US National Intelligence Officer for North Korea and nonresident senior fellow with the Asia Security Initiative, that outlines key takeaways from North Korea’s October military parade for US policymakers. In particular, Garlauskas points out 1) Kim Jong-un believes time is on his side, 2) Pyongyang’s deterrence strategies can be justified without the United States, 3) Ri Pyong Chol’s place confirms him as Kim’s “right-hand man,” 4) North Korea plans to do more flight testing after the election, and 5) North Korea is developing ICBMs with multi-head capabilities.
When all of these revelations are placed in the context of North Korea’s statements and activity over the last three years, they point to five key takeaways for U.S. policymakers in the months ahead.
