SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is planning a "prime time" nuclear weapons push in 2017 to take advantage of leadership transitions in South Korea and the United States, a high-ranking defector said Tuesday.

In his first press conference since fleeing his post as North Korea's deputy ambassador to Britain in August, Thae Yong-Ho said Kim had issued a directive at a rare ruling party congress in May to "complete" nuclear development by the end of next year.

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