US Nuclear Research Institute Estimates North Korea Has About 45 Nuclear Weapons... Likely to Keep Increasing

Equipped with Uranium and Plutonium Production Facilities for Continuous Production
Concerns Over Mass Production Up to 200-300 Units Comparable to China’s Stockpile

A report from a U.S. private nuclear research institute estimates that North Korea possesses about 45 nuclear weapons. Previously, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) also estimated that North Korea has more than 30 nuclear warheads, indicating that North Korea's nuclear arsenal is strengthening, which is expected to intensify international controversy. Since North Korea has both uranium and plutonium production facilities, there are concerns that it may increase its number of nuclear weapons to 200-300, comparable to China's current nuclear arsenal.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to Radio Free Asia (RFA) on the 11th (local time), the U.S.-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) released a report titled "North Korean Nuclear Weapons Arsenal: New Estimates of its Size and Configuration" the previous day, stating that North Korea is estimated to possess about 45 nuclear weapons.

The report estimates that North Korea's nuclear weapons include "all simple fission weapons," "all composite-core fission weapons" which contain plutonium within highly enriched uranium, and a "mix of one-state thermonuclear weapons and simple fission and composite-core" weapons, ranked by destructive power.

ISIS analyzed that "depending on the case, North Korea could have between 35 and 65 nuclear weapons, with a median value of 45 for each type," estimating the number of North Korean nuclear weapons as 45 by the end of last year. ISIS stated that this estimate was based on North Korea's plutonium and weapons-grade uranium (WGU) production.

Earlier, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) also estimated North Korea's nuclear warhead count to be over 30 in the latest edition of the "Status of World Nuclear Forces" released on the 28th of last month. North Korea, which had been expected to have about 20-30 warheads, is continuously increasing its nuclear weapons stockpile, which is expected to adversely affect security on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

In particular, since North Korea has both uranium and plutonium production facilities, there are concerns that it will continue to increase its nuclear warhead stockpile. Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, also stated at the 6th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party at the end of last year that "the number of nuclear warheads will be increased exponentially."

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