South Korea think-tank warns of North's 'military adventurism'

North Korea's young new leader Kim Jong-un will likely order a third nuclear test or another missile launch later this year to boost his military image and consolidate his grip on power, a government think-tank in Seoul said on Wednesday. The foreign ministry institute warned of "military adventurism" by the young Kim, and predicted the tests in the second half of this year or early 2013 around the time of the South's presidential election.
"North Korea could raise tension by test-launching a missile and conducting a third nuclear test as Kim Jong-un needs to demonstrate his leadership and consolidate his grip on the regime," the Institute for Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) said in the report. The young Kim, named the "great successor" after his father Kim Jong-il's death last month, has focused quickly on promoting a hardline image to win the backing of the military.