North Korea has been testing missiles and nuclear devices at an ever faster rate: NK PRO’s missile tracker database shows that of 75 rounds of ballistic missile testing since 1990, all but 13 were tested since Kim Jong Un came to power at the end of 2011. The record number of tests by the DPRK in 2015 was beaten in 2016 and looks set to be beaten again in 2017.

There are several good reasons for the DPRK to slow down its testing. Doing so would, for example, give the DPRK more time to reflect upon and improve after each previous test, and