North Korea may have more than 400 nuclear weapons by 2040, an analyst said Wednesday. This photo shows a new intercontinental ballistic missile during a military parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang in October. File Photo by KCNA/EPA
North Korea currently has as many as 150 nuclear weapons in stock and may ramp up the figure to more than 400 by 2040 as it seeks to strengthen its nuclear capabilities, an analyst said Wednesday.
The forecast by Lee Sang-kyu, chief of the nuclear security research division at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), came as the North has vowed to beef up its capabilities to produce nuclear material and relevant facilities.
In a key party meeting in late 2022, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for “exponentially” increasing the number of the country’s nuclear arsenal. He reaffirmed the pledge in September last year, saying North Korea is steadily carrying out such a policy to deter any threats by enemies.
Lee estimated the North to own between 115 and 131 uranium-based weapons and between 15 and 19 plutonium bombs, bringing the total number of its nuclear arsenal to up to 150.
The figure is approximately two to three times bigger than estimates by overseas research institutions that put the North’s nuclear weapons inventory at around 50.
Citing strengthened uranium enrichment capabilities, Lee said the total number of the North’s nuclear weapons may reach up to 243 by 2030 and 429 by 2040.
Meanwhile, the KIDA official mentioned the possibility of Russia providing technological assistance or relevant parts and material to North Korea in building a 5,000 to 6,000-ton submarine.
Lee still said it would take 10 years or more for the North to complete the development of a small reactor to fit the nuclear-powered submarine the North seeks to build.
In March, the North Korean leader visited a shipyard to inspect a project to build a nuclear-powered submarine, warning that his country’s maritime defense capability will be “fully” projected “in any necessary waters without limitation.”
It marked the first time the North officially disclosed the construction of such a submarine.
A nuclear-powered submarine is among the advanced weapons systems that Kim has vowed to develop, alongside spy satellites and solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles.
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