By Jun Ji-hye
North Korea has increased its stockpile of weapons-grade plutonium to about 50 kilograms from 40 over the past two years despite pressure and sanctions from the international community, according to the 2016 Defense White Paper released Wednesday.
Fifty-kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium are sufficient to manufacture about 10 nuclear warheads, considering that about 4 to 6 kilograms are necessary for each.
The latest biennial document, released by the Ministry of National Defense, said the North has increased its plutonium stockpile through reprocessing spent fuel rods.
At the same time, Pyongyang has achieved significant advances in its ability to miniaturize nuclear warheads and enrich uranium, the paper said without providing details.
"We came up with the estimates after South Korea and the United States analyzed various aspects such as the operation situation of the North's nuclear reactor," said a ministry official on condition of anonymity.
Notably, the paper first mentioned the North's deployment of the Scud-ER (extended range) missile, a variation of the Scud-C with an elongated fuselage to house additional fuel tanks. The missile is believed to have a range of 1,000 kilometers.
Seoul and Washington earlier assessed that the ballistic missiles fired by the isolated state on Sept. 5 were medium-range Rodong missiles, but later concluded they were the longer-range version of the Scud.
At the time, the North fired three missiles off its east coast. They traveled about 1,000 kilometers to land in waters inside Japan's air defense identification zone, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"The allies' conclusion of the existence of the Scud-ER was confirmed after September," the official said.
The paper said the North has made efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). This is the first time the paper has mentioned an ICBM and SLBM.
Since 2012, the North has shown off the ICBMs such as the KN-08 and the KN-14 several times without testing them, the paper noted.
The North's ICBM is believed to have a range of more than 10,000 kilometers, which is capable of hitting targets on the U.S. mainland.
"The North has yet to complete its ICBM program. It has yet to reach a reliable level," the official said. "The North is also trying to complete technologies related to the stable flight of the missile."
The paper noted that the total number of the North Korean troops has increased to 1.28 million from 1.2 million. The number of those involved in cyber warfare has increased to 6,800 from 6,000.
The paper was released amid growing speculation that the reclusive state may push ahead with major provocations this month on or around the inauguration of Donald Trump as the new U.S. president, Jan. 20.
In his New Year message, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made it clear his country has no plans to abandon its nuclear and missile ambitions, claiming that Pyongyang was in the final stages of preparations for a test launch of an ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
Meanwhile, the paper appeared to have taken a somewhat negative attitude toward military cooperation with China as it excluded the phrase, "extension of bilateral exchange and cooperation," which was included in the 2014 paper.
Observers say this reflects the deepening conflict between the two countries over Seoul's decision to allow the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system here.
China, which believes the battery violates its security interests, has taken various retaliatory actions against its deployment since the decision was made in July last year.
Popular South Korean entertainers have been banned from performing in China since late last year. Beijing also abruptly banned South Korean airlines from operating chartered flights between the two countries beginning this month.
North Korea has increased its stockpile of weapons-grade plutonium to about 50 kilograms from 40 over the past two years despite pressure and sanctions from the international community, according to the 2016 Defense White Paper released Wednesday.
Fifty-kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium are sufficient to manufacture about 10 nuclear warheads, considering that about 4 to 6 kilograms are necessary for each.
The latest biennial document, released by the Ministry of National Defense, said the North has increased its plutonium stockpile through reprocessing spent fuel rods.
At the same time, Pyongyang has achieved significant advances in its ability to miniaturize nuclear warheads and enrich uranium, the paper said without providing details.
"We came up with the estimates after South Korea and the United States analyzed various aspects such as the operation situation of the North's nuclear reactor," said a ministry official on condition of anonymity.
Notably, the paper first mentioned the North's deployment of the Scud-ER (extended range) missile, a variation of the Scud-C with an elongated fuselage to house additional fuel tanks. The missile is believed to have a range of 1,000 kilometers.
Seoul and Washington earlier assessed that the ballistic missiles fired by the isolated state on Sept. 5 were medium-range Rodong missiles, but later concluded they were the longer-range version of the Scud.
At the time, the North fired three missiles off its east coast. They traveled about 1,000 kilometers to land in waters inside Japan's air defense identification zone, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"The allies' conclusion of the existence of the Scud-ER was confirmed after September," the official said.
The paper said the North has made efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). This is the first time the paper has mentioned an ICBM and SLBM.
Since 2012, the North has shown off the ICBMs such as the KN-08 and the KN-14 several times without testing them, the paper noted.
The North's ICBM is believed to have a range of more than 10,000 kilometers, which is capable of hitting targets on the U.S. mainland.
"The North has yet to complete its ICBM program. It has yet to reach a reliable level," the official said. "The North is also trying to complete technologies related to the stable flight of the missile."
The paper noted that the total number of the North Korean troops has increased to 1.28 million from 1.2 million. The number of those involved in cyber warfare has increased to 6,800 from 6,000.
The paper was released amid growing speculation that the reclusive state may push ahead with major provocations this month on or around the inauguration of Donald Trump as the new U.S. president, Jan. 20.
In his New Year message, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made it clear his country has no plans to abandon its nuclear and missile ambitions, claiming that Pyongyang was in the final stages of preparations for a test launch of an ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
Meanwhile, the paper appeared to have taken a somewhat negative attitude toward military cooperation with China as it excluded the phrase, "extension of bilateral exchange and cooperation," which was included in the 2014 paper.
Observers say this reflects the deepening conflict between the two countries over Seoul's decision to allow the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system here.
China, which believes the battery violates its security interests, has taken various retaliatory actions against its deployment since the decision was made in July last year.
Popular South Korean entertainers have been banned from performing in China since late last year. Beijing also abruptly banned South Korean airlines from operating chartered flights between the two countries beginning this month.
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