CIA's New Korea Mission Center Tries to Fathom 'Unpredictable' Kim Jong-un

The US is "frightened" by the unpredictability of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and the CIA's new Korea Mission Center is an attempt to more efficiently gather intelligence about him, Professor Alexander Kubyshkin of St Petersburg State University told Radio Sputnik.

On Wednesday, the CIA stepped up its battle against North Korea with the establishment of a "Korea Mission Center" that will combine resources, capabilities and authorities from across the agency and direct them at Pyongyang.

"Creating the Korea Mission Center allows us to more purposefully integrate and direct CIA efforts against the serious threats to the United States and its allies emanating from North Korea. It also reflects the dynamism and agility that the CIA brings to evolving national security challenges," CIA Director Mike Pompeo stated.

Professor Alexander Kubyshkin of St Petersburg State University told Radio Sputnik that the creation of the center is a reflection of US intentions in the region.

"It is worth noting that this is the first time for many years that the CIA has created a regional center, which is focused on US policy and on strengthening military-strategic cooperation with South Korea. This demonstrates the US' growing attention to the situation on the Korean peninsula, in connection with the North Korean nuclear program and the new directions in American foreign policy."

"It is clear that the Americans need to orient themselves more to the intricacies of North Korea's policies, in particular the tactics and strategy of Kim Jong-un. This seems to be why the new analytical intelligence center is being created," Kubyshkin said.

North Korean soldiers (C) take photos towards a South Korean soldier (L) and a US soldier (R) standing before the military demarcation line (lower C) seperating North and South Korea within the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom on July 27, 2014

© AFP 2023 / Ed Jones

US military bases in South Korea and Japan are vital to the CIA's intelligence-gathering efforts, which are aimed at getting a better understanding of North Korea's "unpredictable" leader Kim Jong-un.

"You can do all this from Okinawa, the Americans can put mobile monitoring centers on the ships that are currently patrolling the Korean Peninsula. As you can see from US analysts' assessments, the most important thing is that the situation doesn't get out of control."

"The unpredictability of Kim Jong-un frightens the Americans, who have not yet put together a policy regarding the new situation on the Korean peninsula," Kubyshkin said.

On Sunday, North Korea conducted its latest ballistic missile test, in the vicinity of Kusong, North Pyongan Province. The rocket flew some 800km, for about 30 minutes, before falling into the Sea of Japan.

Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests have increased in regularity in recent months, as the US continues to demand the complete disarmament of the country's nuclear weaponry and long-range missiles, on threat of military action.

For its part, North Korea has accused the CIA of attempting to kill its leader. Pyongyang alleges that the CIA and South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) recruited a North Korean hit man called "Kim" and ordered him to assassinate Kim Jong-un with bio-chemical weapons.

On Friday, North Korean Ambassador to Russia Kim Hyun Joong gave a detailed account of the alleged plot. He claimed that the US and South Korean intelligence agencies had handed over about $300,000 to 'Kim,' who they recruited in June 2014 when he worked at a logging enterprise in Russia's Khabarovsk Territory.