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| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| Nork military on heightened alert as country holds ruling party congress | |
| 2016-05-07 | |
| North Korea's military has been placed on a heightened state of alert as the country held its first ruling party congress in more than 30 years, Seoul's military said Friday. "There does not seem to be any out of ordinary movement among frontline troops, but they seem to be maintaining a higher state of readiness with the congress kicking off in the capital city," said an official defense ministry source who declined to be identified. He pointed out that in the past, the North would raise the readiness of its troops during key domestic political events. The Congress of the Worker’s Party of Korea is technically the highest deliberative institution of the sole governing party of the North. The last time the congress was convened was in October 1980. "There have been more frequent visits to frontline guard posts by higher ranking field and staff officers," the official said. Seoul then said that intelligence has shown no particular activity under way at the North's Punggye-ri nuclear test site. There had been strong speculation that the communist country will conduct its fifth nuclear test ahead of the party congress, but this has not happened. The government also said they have yet to pick up signs that the North will launch more ballistic missiles like it did in April.
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| Posted by:Steve White |