The United States fears that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may launch a military operation against South Korea in the coming months. The New York Times reports this with reference to American sources.

Officials believe that Kim Jong-un's recent statements have been more aggressive than previous ones and should be taken seriously.

The New York Times recalls that the DPRK has recently fired artillery shells several times into the waters near the South Korean islands. At the same time, Kim Jong-un has decided to officially abandon his long-standing official goal of peaceful reunification with South Korea. The combination of the North Korean leader's statements and artillery shelling has attracted the attention of American officials monitoring the situation in the country.

The publication writes that Kim Jong-un's actions probably now close the door to any chance of diplomacy with the United States, which he has been avoiding since his personal talks with then US President Donald Trump failed in 2019. The administration of US President Joe Biden has been trying to convince North Korea to engage in diplomacy since 2021. But US officials say the North Korean leader is likely feeling emboldened by his growing partnership with Russia.

The sources do not see an imminent risk of a full-scale war on the Korean Peninsula, but the DPRK may strike in a way that it believes will avoid a rapid escalation. The officials cited North Korea's 2010 shelling of a South Korean island as an example. The two sides exchanged artillery fire, killing soldiers on both sides as well as civilians in the south, but both sides soon stopped.

One New York Times source said that North Korea's decision to send a large number of old artillery shells and fewer modern ballistic missiles to Russia shows that Kim Jong-un is not preparing for a prolonged conflict with South Korea. The official noted that a leader planning a major military operation would stockpile his stocks of missiles and artillery shells.