Mon 02 January 2023:
20 to 60 nuclear warheads could have been produced by North Korea, South Korean media reported on Monday.
The situation on the Korean Peninsula has become tenser as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the development of a new intercontinental ballistic missile system last week to conduct a quick nuclear retaliatory strike. He also noted the need to increase the number of nuclear warheads at the disposal of the country.
The news agency analyzed data published in 2022 by the specialized Western universities, including the US Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS), the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), and the Japanese Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (RECNA).
According to the report, Western experts agree that North Korea had about 20-30 nuclear warheads by September, but INSS noted that in November their number could rise to 60. At the same time, SIPRI believes that Pyongyang has enough material, namely uranium-235 and plutonium-239, to produce 45-55 nuclear warheads.
The news agency continued by quoting images from North Korean Central Television showing Kim Jong Un and his daughter inspecting a storehouse full of KN-23 rockets, which are capable of carrying a tactical nuclear charge.
According to the news agency, they may be seen in the image assessing roughly 10 Hwasong-12 medium-range ballistic missiles and roughly 10 mobile launchers for KN-23 tactical ballistic missiles.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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