North Korea’s capacity to surprise should never be underestimated.

The collective global roar of disapproval that greeted North Korea’s launch of its satellite Kwangmyongsong-4 is a familiar sound by now. The universal fury at Pyongyang’s actions was similar to that which greeted its purported recent underground test of a hydrogen bomb.

North Korea’s announcement that it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb was met with shock and surprise around the world—but there have been months of indications that something in just this vein was on the way.

North Korea’s announcement that “normal operation” was again underway at its Yongbyon nuclear complex sent a wave of anxiety through the world’s Pyongyang watchers.