North Korea could have produced from 20 to 60 nuclear warheads, South Korean media reported.
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.
On the same day, the news agency added, citing footage from North Korean Central Television, that the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, together with his daughter inspected a warehouse with KN-23 missiles that can carry a tactical nuclear charge. In the released photograph, they are seen inspecting about 10 Hwasong-12 medium-range ballistic missiles about 10 mobile launchers for KN-23 tactical ballistic missiles, the news agency said.
