North Korea stays quiet on party anniversary

North Korea refrained from provocations on Tuesday, the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the Korean Workers' Party, but experts say they are not ruling out long-range missile tests.


Pyongyang's decision to observe the holiday without provocations comes a day after U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis said the military must "stand ready" to deal with the North Korean regime.

South Korea news service News 1 reported Tuesday U.S. and South Korea militaries on the peninsula had reinforced surveillance assets in order to monitor North Korea military movements.

The measure was taken because Seoul and Washington had determined there was a possibility North Korea would conduct a provocation, including a ballistic missile launch, on the key anniversary.

North Korea has engaged in provocations on or around major national holidays.

A few days before Sept. 9, the anniversary of the founding of the North Korean republic, Pyongyang conducted its sixth nuclear test on Sept. 3.
  [upi.com]
 10/10/17