Foreign Media: "If North Korea Resumes Nuclear Tests, It Will Focus on Miniaturizing Nuclear Warheads"

Military Expert Cited for Outlook

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Recently, North Korea, which has been provoking by conducting successive missile test launches and restoring its nuclear test site, is analyzed to be focusing on developing tactical nuclear weapons through miniaturization of nuclear warheads. Tactical nuclear weapons are small nuclear weapons mainly used in localized warfare, unlike strategic nuclear weapons that have the power to destroy entire cities.

Foreign media on the 22nd cited military experts predicting this and warned that if North Korea succeeds in miniaturizing and lightening nuclear warheads, the risk will become very high. Ankit Panda, senior researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said, "North Korea is expected to carry out its seventh nuclear test," adding, "In that case, they will conduct a lower-yield nuclear test than before."

Previously, North Korea is known to be working on restoring the No. 3 tunnel of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in Kilju County, North Hamgyong Province, which was closed in 2018, to an operational state. On the 16th of this month, it also test-fired a new tactical guided weapon into the East Sea.

Researcher Panda noted that North Korea has already showcased nuclear warheads small enough to be mounted on short-range ballistic missiles KN-23 and KN-24, known as the "North Korean version of Iskander" and "North Korean version of ATACMS," respectively, and analyzed that the new tactical guided weapon launched on the 16th demonstrated ambition to develop even smaller nuclear weapons.

Unlike North Korea's previous six nuclear tests, which proceeded in the direction of producing stronger yields, future nuclear tests are likely to show the opposite trend. In fact, North Korea's Korean Central News Agency reported on the 17th about the new tactical guided weapon test, stating that "it has great significance in enhancing the effectiveness of tactical nuclear operations and diversifying firepower missions."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessed in 2017 that North Korea might attempt to miniaturize and lighten nuclear warheads to be mounted on all delivery systems, including short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.