By Chyung Eun-ju, Park Si-soo
The British government suspects North Korea could develop nuclear weapons rapidly with clandestine technological help from Iran and Russia.
The Telegraph newspaper, citing Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials, said the FCO was looking into whether “current and former nuclear states” helped North Korea leader Kim Jong-un to develop nuclear warheads.
Iran is believed to be the biggest contributor and Russia the next, according to the newspaper. It did not elaborate.
“North Korean scientists are people of some ability, but clearly they’re not doing it entirely in a vacuum,” a FCO official was quoted as saying.
Another FCO official said, “For them to have done this entirely on their own stretches the bounds of credulity.”
Earlier, British foreign secretary Boris Johnson said an investigation was under way into exactly how the North could make such a big leap in technological ability.
“We are looking at the possible role that may have been played,” Johnson said.