US military report: North Korea has up to 60 nuclear bombs and 5,000 tons of chemical weapons.
The report called ‘North Korean tactics’ states that by the end of 2020, the country could acquire up to 100 nuclear bombs.
As reported by Daily Mail, the US Army claimed North Korea would most probably refuse to give up its stockpile. In fact, the country is said to be using the weapons as a deterrent to ‘prevent other countries from contemplating a regime change’. The statement reads:
“Estimates for North Korean nuclear weapons range from 20-60 bombs, with the capability to produce 6 new devices each year.”
According to the US military report, Pyongyang possesses the third-largest haul of chemical agents in the world, which estimates to up to 5,000 tons. As Yonhap News Agency reveals, it’s ‘highly likely’ that the North Korean military would use chemical artillery shells in a conflict situation.
Furthermore, the US Army speculates that Kim Jong-un may have weaponized anthrax or smallpox ‘that could be mounted on missiles for use’ against South Korea, the US, and Japan.
Additionally, the report notes that only 1 kg(2.2lb) of anthrax could kill up to 50,000 people in the 10-million-strong South Korean capital, Seoul, The Korea Herald states.
The US Army warns about North Korea’s cyber warfare operations with over 6,000 international hackers.
The programmers are gathering intelligence, disabling enemy networks, and committing financial crimes. According to the report, North Korea can ‘successfully conduct invasive computer warfare activities from the safety of its own territory’. It continues:
“It has the distributed ability to reach targeted computers anywhere in the world, as long as they are connected to the Internet.”
Earlier this month, a leaked UN report has also alerted about North Korea’s nuclear warheads. It stated they were probably small enough to be fitted on to its ballistic missiles.
Additionally, the UN Security Council was warned that the country has likely overcome the technical hurdle, which is one of the crucial stages in developing a usable long-range nuclear weapon. Moreover, North Korea is also believed to have tested a thermonuclear bomb at its underground testing site.
The UN report, submitted to the 15-member UN Security Council North Korea sanctions committee, said:
“The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is continuing its nuclear program, including the production of highly enriched uranium and construction of an experimental light water reactor. A Member State assessed that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is continuing production of nuclear weapons.”
Negotiations between North Korea and the US regarding Pyongyang’s nuclear programs have been halted since February 2019, after no agreement was reached between Trump and Kim about the Hanoi summit.
