叛逃官員：朝鮮有宏大的核武器計劃
Next year will be the most opportune time for North Korea to bolster its nuclear program because of upcoming leadership changes in the United States and South Korea, according to a senior North Korean official who defected recently to the South.
"With South Korea holding presidential elections and the U.S. undergoing an administration transition, the North sees 2017 as the prime time for nuclear development," said Thae Yong-ho, who was North Korea's second highest ranking diplomat in London.
Thae defected to South Korea in August, becoming the most senior North Korean official to defect in almost 20 years.
At a news conference Tuesday with South Korean reporters, Thae made clear he was not aware of the status of North Korea's nuclear program but expressed confidence that China would not severely discipline North Korea for its nuclear program because the North's disintegration could produce a combined U.S.-friendly Korea.
Thae said North Korean leader Kim Jung Un has no plans to relinquish his country's nuclear weapons even if he is offered large sums of money. The exiled diplomat said Kim is expediting the country's nuclear development program with the intent of possessing nuclear weapons by the end of next year.
North Korea conducted two nuclear tests this year and fired over 20 ballistic missiles. And it publicly promised to develop the ability to strike the United States with a nuclear weapon.
President-elect Donald Trump has said he favors the manufacture of nuclear weapons by Japan and South Korea as a deterrent to North Korea.
Donald Trump will assume control of the executive branch of the U.S. government on January 20 and South Korea will hold a presidential election next year. Thae predicted North Korea will attempt to open dialog with the two new administrations in an attempt to obtain nuclear power status.最近逃到韓國的一位朝鮮高級官員說，由於美國和韓國都會出現領導人更替，明年是朝鮮發展核項目的最佳時機。
曾經擔任朝鮮駐倫敦使館副大使的太勇浩說：“韓國將舉行總統選舉，美國要進行政府交接，朝鮮認爲2017年是發展核項目的最佳時機。”
太勇浩今年8月叛逃到韓國，是近20年來最高級別的朝鮮叛逃官員。
他星期二在韓國記者會上說，他並不清楚朝鮮核項目的具體狀況，不過他說他認爲中國不會嚴厲懲罰朝鮮，因爲如果朝鮮解體，朝鮮半島就會出現一個對美國友好的統一國家。
太勇浩說，即使用大量金錢作爲交換，朝鮮領導人金正恩也不會放棄核武器。他還說，金正恩正在加快發展核項目，爭取明年年底擁有核武器。
朝鮮今年進行了兩次核試驗，發射20多個彈道導彈。朝鮮還公開宣稱，要發展能夠打擊美國的核武器。
美國當選總統川普曾表示，他贊成日本和韓國擁有核武器，來遏制朝鮮。
川普將於1月20號宣誓就職，韓國要在明年舉行總統選舉。太勇浩預測，朝鮮將試圖與這兩個新政府對話獲得擁核國家的地位。
