[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] North Korea Ranks 3rd Globally in Biochemical Forces... Also Dominates the Middle East

North Korea Possesses 2,500-5,000 Tons of Chemical Weapons
US Expresses Concern Over North Korea Using Irregular Forces to Deploy Chemical Weapons
Military Urgently Needs to Expand Biochemical Weapon Detection Equipment

North Korea is estimated to have steadily developed biochemical weapons amid international condemnation and currently possesses the world's third-largest arsenal after the United States and Russia. North Korea is believed to have 2,500 to 5,000 tons of chemical weapons, including the nerve agent 'Sarin,' and is capable of producing about 4,500 tons in peacetime and 12,000 tons during wartime.

The agency responsible for North Korea's nuclear and biochemical weapons is the 5th Bureau of the 2nd Economic Committee under the National Defense Commission. Regarding chemical warfare, North Korea operates nine facilities under the jurisdiction of the 5th Bureau, including the Aoji Chemical Plant, Chongjin Chemical Plant, and Hamhung 28 Vinalon Plant. Military authorities estimate that these sites can independently cultivate and produce biochemical weapons such as anthrax, smallpox, and cholera.

It is known that biochemical weapons produced at these sites have recently been supplied to the Middle East region. Alon Lefkowitz, a research fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies in Israel, stated in a video interview with Voice of America (VOA) last month, "There were indications that (North Korean) biochemical weapons were smuggled into Hezbollah, raising significant concerns."

New Chemical and Biological Reconnaissance Vehicle to Be Deployed in Response to North Korea's Chemical and Biological Weapons

Biochemical weapons are powerful enough to inflict widespread and immediate damage on the enemy, but their use is prohibited due to the inevitable harm to civilians within a certain radius. For this reason, the United States is concerned about North Korea expanding its biochemical weapons production. According to the U.S. Department of Defense's '2023 Strategy for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD),' North Korea's chemical weapons threat is at a lethal level. The report analyzed, "North Korea possesses thousands of tons of chemical agents that can be used in war and can disperse chemical weapons through artillery, ballistic missiles, and irregular forces." This report is the first update in nine years since the last WMD counter-strategy was published in 2014.

Some military circles point out the need to significantly expand equipment capable of detecting North Korea's biochemical weapons. There is a shortage not only of equipment to detect North Korean biological weapons but also of vaccines. The South Korean military currently has three types of equipment to detect North Korean biological weapons: the biological toxin monitoring system, biological reconnaissance vehicles, and portable weapon diagnostic kits.

However, the biological toxin monitoring system takes 2 to 3 days just to detect substances and analyze their components. The military has deployed biological toxin detectors since 2014 at key operational facilities, ports, and airbases. The Chemical Defense Research Institute under the Republic of Korea Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense Command can analyze all 13 types but lacks detection capability. Among the 13 types of North Korean biological weapons, biological reconnaissance vehicles can detect 4 types, and portable weapon diagnostic kits can detect 7 types.

Supplies for chemical warfare preparedness are also severely insufficient. The South Korean military planned to stock three types of vaccines and two types of antibiotics to prepare for North Korean biological warfare, but the introduction of the anthrax vaccine has been delayed. Anthrax is known to have high infectivity and the highest fatality rate. However, 271,100 doses of the smallpox vaccine are in stock. The South Korean Ministry of National Defense inquired with the U.S. side about purchasing anthrax vaccines but was reportedly rejected due to limited supply and no precedent of overseas sales.

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