Same old, same old:

North Korea could conduct another nuclear test next year in an attempt to solidify itself as an atomic power, a news report said Friday, citing a state-run South Korean think tank.

The Korea Institute for Defense Analyses said in a report that the communist nation won’t give up its nuclear ambitions and could test an atomic device in an attempt to assert itself as a nuclear weapons state, according to Yonhap news agency.

North Korea carried out its first-ever nuclear test in 2006 and the second, more powerful test blast in May. The think tank said the second test was five times as powerful as the first one and demonstrated progress Pyongyang had made in its capabilities to build atomic bombs, according to Yonhap.

A third test “would increase the possibility of the international community accepting North Korea as a nuclear weapons state,” the report was quoted as saying.

The North could also test-fire a long-range missile, and provoke military clashes with South Korea near their land, sea and air borders next year, Yonhap cited the report as saying.

Neither the report nor comments from the think tank were available Friday.  [Fox News]

I have said this over and over again, but the North Koreans have no intention of dismantling their nuclear program and people who think they can be persuaded to probably believe in unicorns as well.  The North Koreans will continue to perfect both their nuclear and missile capabilities while also trying to get maximum concessions from the international community for token gestures like the blowing up of the cooling tower.