Spy Agency Reports North Korea Possesses Enough Uranium for ‘Double-Digit’ Nuclear Weapons
Lawmakers in South Korea have issued a warning that Kim Jong Un is progressing towards producing weapon-grade nuclear materials to develop more powerful and accurate bombs.
According to South Korea’s spy agency, North Korea has likely enriched enough uranium to construct a “double-digit” number of nuclear bombs.
During a closed-door parliamentary briefing, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service revealed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is advancing significantly in the development of more powerful and accurate missiles aimed at South Korea.
North Korea, a highly centralized totalitarian state controlled by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), recently unveiled a secretive facility through state media that produces uranium, a crucial material for nuclear weapons development.
North Korea’s Bomb Fuel Capacity
In the closed-door parliamentary briefing in Seoul, the National Intelligence Service indicated that Kim Jong Un’s disclosure of the facility was likely a show of defiance towards Washington in advance of the U.S. presidential election.
According to lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, the disclosure is meant to exhibit his military achievements domestically amidst deepening economic challenges.
In terms of North Korea’s bomb fuel capacity, the agency estimated that North Korea possesses approximately 70 kilograms (154 pounds) of plutonium and a significant amount of weapons-grade uranium, sufficient to build “at least a double-digit number” of weapons.
On September 13, North Korean state media published the first-ever images of its uranium enrichment facility, although the location was not disclosed.
Lawmaker Park Sun-won suggested that it could be based in Kangson, near Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
The Kangson plant is one of two known sites in North Korea associated with uranium enrichment activities. Analysts believe there are other hidden sites for enriching uranium in North Korea.
Jong Un’s visit to the uranium enrichment site was followed by a North Korean missile test a few days later.
North Korean state media stated that the test launches on September 18 involved two types of new missiles, one intended for delivering “super-large” conventional warheads and the other a “strategic” cruise missile, potentially created for nuclear strikes.
The weapons are deemed necessary for “self-defense and the capability for a preemptive attack” against “anti-DPRK nuclear threats” from “U.S. imperialists-led vassal forces,” as stated by the North Korean leader.
North Korea’s nuclear program violates numerous U.N. Security Council resolutions.
The South Korean intelligence agency assumed that North Korea might postpone a nuclear test until after the election to pursue other tests.
Russia
Satellite images released on Wednesday suggested that Russia had tested a Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, which failed, as per arms experts.
The RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, informally known as “Satan II” by NATO, is designed to carry nuclear warheads to target locations across vast distances, including the United States, Europe, and potentially other regions.
The images captured by space technology company Maxar on September 21 revealed a crater about 60 meters (200 feet) wide at the launch silo at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia, showing extensive damage that was not visible in earlier pictures.
Russia stated on Monday that it would refrain from testing a nuclear weapon as long as the United States refrained from doing so, amid speculations that the Kremlin may resume testing for the first time since 1990.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned on Wednesday that Russia could utilize nuclear weapons in response to an attack with conventional missiles and may consider any assault supported by a nuclear power as a joint attack on Russia.
“It is proposed that aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, be considered as their joint attack on the Russian Federation,” Putin stated during a meeting of Russia’s Security Council on September 25.
The Associated Press, Reuters, and Andrew Thornebrooke contributed to this report.
