NK’s military stronger than ever: think tank

North Korea's military is stronger than ever despite a struggling economy on the brink of collapse, a private think tank said Wednesday, calling for more effective countermeasures to the growing threat.

In 2011, North Korea operated a 1.02-million-strong army and a record number of tanks, warships and air defense artillery, according to a report by the Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI).

The communist country has fewer combat planes than in 1986, but its air power has been boosted by top-class MiG-29 fighter jets since the 1990s, the report said. It also pointed to an increase in the number of submarines as a notable development.

North Korea is also developing nuclear weapons in order to maintain an upper hand over South Korea's military, making it difficult for the South to defend itself in the event of a North Korean attack, KERI said.

The report added that the communist state is likely to target South Korea's weak points where U.S. forces will have difficulty intervening. It also called for an accurate understanding of North Korea's military threat and preparation of effective countermeasures. (Yonhap)