Kim Jong Un could test a new missile tonight in order to coincide with the Columbus Day holiday in America, it is feared.
The test would also come ahead of the founding anniversary of North Korea’s ruling party, which is due to take place on Tuesday.
Russian lawmaker Anton Morozov warned last week that Kim was preparing another launch ‘in the nearest future’ after returning from Pyongyang.
Kim often times weapon tests to coincide with American public holidays.
North Korea could test another missile on Monday to coincide with the Columbus Day holiday in America, after a Russian lawmaker warned last week that Kim Jong Un would test a weapon ‘in the nearest future’
Anton Morozov claimed to have seen calculations showing the missile can range the US West Coast and that North Korea can bring a nuclear warhead back to earth intact (pictured, Kim Jong Un inspects what purports to be a hydrogen bomb)
The dictator launched the country’s first ICBM on the 4th of July, calling it a ‘gift for the American b*******.’
Mr Morozov, of the nationalist Liberal-Democratic Party, said on Friday that he has seen calculations showing the missile could hit the US West Coast.
He added that the North Koreans claimed to have technology that would allow them to bring a nuclear warhead back down to earth intact.
The news comes after President Trump discussed the North Korean situation with military leaders on Thursday, describing the moment as ‘the calm before the storm’.
When quizzed by reporters about what he meant, Trump said: ‘You’ll find out.’
The news also comes after Kim threatened to tame Donald Trump ‘with fire’ after the President threatened to ‘totally destroy’ North Korea in a speech to the UN.
In an unprecedented personal address to President Trump, Kim said the US would ‘pay dearly’ adding that North Korea ‘will consider with seriousness exercising of a corresponding, highest level of hard-line countermeasure in history.’
Donald Trump discussed North Korea with his generals on Thursday before telling reporters it was ‘the calm before the storm’. Asked what storm, he replied: ‘You’ll see’
Kim threatened to tame President Trump ‘with fire’ in an unprecedented personal address last month, calling him a ‘mentally deranged dotard’
He added: ‘I am now thinking hard about what response he could have expected when he allowed such eccentric words to trip off his tongue.
‘I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire.’
North Korea has previously released images of what it claimed was a ‘fire plan’ for an attack on the US military base on Guam.
Kim was said to have reviewed the plans but decided not to attack.
Few international observers believe the North would actually attack the US or an allied country because there is no possibility it could win a war with America.
But Ri Yong Ho, North Korea’s Foreign Minister, raised another prospect – that the hermit nation could land a warhead in the Pacific Ocean.
Such a demonstration would prove that they have a viable nuclear weapon, without necessarily prompting American military action.
Kim believes securing such a weapon, and proving to the international community that it works, is the key to ensuring his regime’s survival.
Most experts agree that the North already has a missile capable of ranging most of the US, the Hwasong-14, which they have successfully tested multiple times.
Kim has also claimed to have a powerful hydrogen bomb that is small enough to fit on top of the missile, after the state carried out a sixth successful nuclear test earlier this year.
The final hurdle is in perfecting re-entry technology that would bring the warhead back to earth intact and on target.
It is not believed the North currently possesses this technology, as re-entry vehicles from previous Hwasong-14 tests were shown falling back into the ocean in flames.