Pentagon Report Says North Korea Has Up To Sixty Nuclear Bombs And 5,000 Tons Of Chemical Weapons

Daily Mail: North Korea has up to SIXTY nuclear bombs and 5,000 tons of chemical weapons - and is not going to give them up, US military report says

* US says DPRK uses missiles as a deterrent to countries seeking regime change
* US army estimates North Korea has between 20-60 nuclear bombs right now
* Some estimates predict they could have up to 100 before the end of this year
* The US also fears that Kim's regime may have weaponised anthrax, which could wipe out 50,000 people if affixed to a missile and launched at Seoul

A US military report has claimed that North Korea has up to 60 nuclear bombs and 5,000 tons of chemical weapons.

In the report, entitled 'North Korean tactics', which was published last month, the US Army said it was unlikely the country would ever give up its stockpile, adding it uses them as a deterrent to countries seeking regime change.

'Estimates for North Korean nuclear weapons range from 20-60 bombs, with the capability to produce 6 new devices each year,' the report states, adding that other estimates suggest they could obtain up to 100 nuclear bombs by the end of 2020.

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More News On A Pentagon Report That Says North Korea Has Up To Sixty Nuclear Bombs And 5,000 Tons Of Chemical Weapons

N.K. owns up to 60 nuclear bombs, world's third-largest amount of chemical agents: U.S. military report -- Yonhap News Agency
NK estimated to possess up to 60 nuclear bombs: US Army -- Korea Herald
North Korea has up to 60 nuclear bombs and may have weaponised anthrax, US military claim -- Mirror
US Army Says North Korea May Have Up to 60 Nukes and 5,000 Tons of Chemical Weapons in Its Stockpile -- Vice

Two Dozen North Korean Bankers Charged In $2.5 Billion Money-Laundering Scheme To Support The Nuclear Program

CNN: More than two dozen North Korean bankers charged in $2.5 billion money-laundering scheme

The US Justice Department on Thursday unsealed criminal charges against more than two dozen North Korean bankers, alleging they were behind an international money laundering scheme that moved some $2.5 billion in violation of US sanctions.

Twenty-eight North Korean nationals face a slew of charges related to bank fraud, money laundering and criminal enterprises, in what appears to be the first case brought against members of the North Korean financial system.

The 50-page indictment, which was signed in February and unsealed Thursday morning in Washington, DC, federal court, details a web of front companies and "cover branches" of a state-sponsored bank that were stood up in foreign countries, including China and Russia to help skirt international restricts on the regime's ability to spend globally. Five Chinese nationals also were charged.

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More News On The U.S. Charging Two Dozen North Korean Bankers For A $2.5 Billion Money-Laundering Scheme To Support The Nuclear Program

US charges North Koreans in $2.5B sanctions-busting scheme -- AP
U.S. indicts North Koreans, accuses state-owned bank of evading sanctions -- Reuters
U.S. brings massive N. Korean sanctions case, targeting state-owned bank and former government officials -- Washington Post
North Koreans Accused of Laundering $2.5 Billion for Nuclear Program -- NYTimes
Chinese, North Korean individuals charged in scheme to illegally divert funds to Pyongyang nuclear program -- FOX News
North Korean bank officials charged by US in sanctions case: AP -- The Hill
US Indicts North Korean, Chinese Nationals in $2.5 Billion Scheme Tied to Nuke Program -- Sputnik

North Korea Continues To Build-Up Its Nuclear Arsenal

Business Insider: North Korea may have built 12 nuclear bombs since the first Trump-Kim summit last year, according to recent reports from intelligence analysts

* North Korea may have expanded its nuclear arsenal with 12 more bombs since President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un first met at a Singapore summit last year.
* The Wall Street Journal first reported that intelligence analysts are concluding that the secretive state is accelerating its production of long-range missiles and fissile material, both key components in making nuclear weapons.
* The revelation comes after North Korea unveiled a new submarine that could launch nuclear weapons and fired two short-range missiles off its coast, flouting a UN ban on such testing.
* Up to now, Trump has defended his negotiations with the North Korean leader, saying they've been a success because the country has not engaged in serious missile testing.

North Korea may have expanded its nuclear arsenal with 12 more bombs since President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un first met at a Singapore summit last year.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that intelligence analysts have concluded that the secretive state is accelerating its production of long-range missiles and fissile material, both key components in making nuclear weapons.

Analysts have pored over satellite imagery to discover the movement of shipping containers and trucks at crucial weapons facilities in the northern part of the country, according to The Wall Street Journal. These same analysts estimate Pyongyang now has between 20 and 60 nuclear weapons.

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WNU Editor: Until a deal is signed and verification agreed upon, this nuclear buildup is only going to continue.

Satellite Images Show Nuclear Reprocessing Activity At North Korea's Nuclear Site

A view of what researchers of Beyond Parallel, a CSIS project, describe as the Radiochemistry Laboratory at the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center in North Pyongan Province, North Korea, in this commercial satellite image taken April 12, 2019 and released April 16, 2019. CSIS/Beyond Parallel/DigitalGlobe 2019 via REUTERS

Reuters: Satellite images may show reprocessing activity at North Korea nuclear site: U.S. researchers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Satellite images from last week show movement at North Korea’s main nuclear site that could be associated with the reprocessing of radioactive material into bomb fuel, a U.S. think tank said on Tuesday.

Any new reprocessing activity would underscore the failure of a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in late February to make progress toward North Korea’s denuclearization.

Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a report that satellite imagery of North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear site from April 12 showed five specialized railcars near its Uranium Enrichment Facility and Radiochemistry Laboratory.

It said their movement could indicate the transfer of radioactive material.

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WNU Editor: On a side note, it looks like North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will be meeting Russian President Putin in the coming weeks .... Kim Jong Un to meet Vladimir Putin as North Korea pivots to Russia for help (ABC News).

CBS News Correspondent Reveals What It Was Like To Visit North Korea And View The Demolition Of Its Nuclear Test Site

Ben Tracy reported from a nuclear testing facility in North Korea last week.Screenshot via CBSnews.com

Business Insider: A CBS News reporter reveals what it was like when North Korea blew up its nuclear testing site

* CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy was the only American broadcast news correspondent invited by North Korea to witness the destruction of a nuclear testing facility last week.
* Tracy described the trip as secretive and full of strict rules, but reported officials said they wanted journalists at the site to be "transparent."
* Tracy was not allowed to pull up the shades on his train window and had his radiation-testing equipment confiscated.

CBS News foreign correspondent Ben Tracy gave viewers a close-up look at the demolition of a nuclear testing facility in North Korea last week, a publicity-oriented trip he described as full of strict rules.

Tracy was the only American broadcast news correspondent out of around 20 invited by North Korea, he told Broadcasting & Cable. The only other American outlet present was CNN.

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WNU Editor: Can someone say the word "staged"?

North Korea 'Destroys' Nuclear Test Site Hours Before President Trump Cancelled The Summit

The Guardian: North Korea 'destroys' nuclear test site as world's media watches

Pyongyang claims to have dismantled its only known nuclear test site, with journalists witnessing the explosions

North Korea claims to have dismantled its only known nuclear test site, detonating explosives and collapsing its entrances in front of international television crews in a highly symbolic move.

Reporters at the scene described a series of explosions throughout the day, three of them in entry tunnels to the underground facility, followed by explosions that demolished a nearby barracks and other structures.

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WNU Editor: They can easily build another site elsewhere.

More News On North Korea 'Destroying' It's Nuclear Test Site

N. Korea demolishes nuclear test site as journalists watch -- AP
North Korea 'blows up its nuclear test site' in series of huge explosions -- Daily Mail
North Korea reports destruction of Punggye-ri nuclear test site -- UPI
North Korea Demolishes Its Nuclear Test Site In A 'Huge Explosion' -- NPR
North Korea blows up tunnels at nuclear test site -- DW
North Korea claims it has demolished its nuclear testing site -- ABC News Online
North Korea claims to have destroyed its nuclear test site in huge explosion in front of foreign media -- Business Insider
North Korea Demolishes Its Nuclear Test Site In A 'Huge Explosion' -- NPR
North Korea 'demolishes' nuclear test facility -- Al Jazeera
U.N. chief laments lack of international experts at North Korea site -- Reuters
The nuclear test site North Korea decided to destroy -- AFP
Analysts: Site demolition no guarantee of North Korea denuclearization -- UPI

North Korea Has Outlined The Steps That It Will Take To Dismantle Its Nuclear Testing Site

CNN: North Korea details plans to dismantle nuclear test site this month

North Korea outlined steps Saturday to dismantle its nuclear testing site -- and confirmed that international journalists, including those from the United States and the United Kingdom, would be invited to watch this month as its tunnels are blown up.

The announcement, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as reported by state news agency KCNA, came a day after Pyongyang pledged no longer to carry out unannounced missile tests or other activities that put flights at risk, according to a United Nations aviation agency.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un previously announced the conclusion of North Korea's nuclear testing program and the intended shuttering of the Punggye-ri complex. He said April 20 that his nation already had "completed its mission" to test its weapons capability.

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WNU Editor: I am more worried about the nuclear weapons and nuclear material that North Korea has .... not a nuclear site that is probably highly radioactive and now useless.

More News On North Korea Outlining The Steps That It Will Take To Dismantle Its Nuclear Testing Site

North Korea details plans to dismantle nuclear bomb test site -- Reuters
North Korea's nuclear test site to be destroyed within weeks -- AFP
North Korea to Dismantle Nuclear Test Site Later This Month -- VOA/AP
N. Korea to destroy nuclear site ahead of US summit: KCNA -- AFP
North Korea invites world to watch closure of nuclear test site -- The Guardian
North Korea to hold 'ceremony' for dismantling nuclear test site this month -- ABC News Online
Trump welcomes N. Korea plan to blow up nuke-site tunnels -- AP
Trump thanks North Korea for vow to dismantle nuclear site -- The Hill
Trump praises North Korea's move to dismantle its nuclear testing site -- Politico

U.S. Wants North Korea's Nuclear Engineers To Be Relocated To Other Countries

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, gives orders on a project to manufacture nuclear weapons. The date is unknown. This photo was distributed by the Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 3, 2017. (Korea News Service)

Asahi Shimbun: U.S. seeks the relocation of N. Korean nuclear engineers

SEOUL--In preliminary negotiations before their upcoming summit, the United States is demanding that North Korea relocate its nuclear engineers to other countries and discard data from its nuclear development program.

The demands were made in preliminary discussions for the U.S.-North Korea summit scheduled to be held by early June, sources related to North Korea said on May 9.

However, North Korea is resisting the relocation of up to several thousand nuclear engineers and is taking a vague stance on the abandonment of data on its six nuclear experiments and nuclear-related facilities in Yongbyon, they added.

According to the sources, the United States also wants North Korea to abandon all its weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical weapons.

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WNU Editor: The U.S. is playing hardball.

Damage To North Korea’s Nuclear Test Site Is Worse Than Previously Disclosed (Update)

North Korea’s last nuclear test triggered an earthquake. Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

Science News: Satellite data backs theory of North Korean nuclear site collapse

Whether underground cave-ins have made the facility unusable is unknown

A new analysis of satellite images and seismic waves from North Korea’s nuclear test site support theories that the underground facility has at least partially collapsed.

Seismologists across the world have been tracking the clandestine nuclear weapons program for years by analyzing vibrations that emanate from explosions at the test site under Mount Mantap (SN: 8/5/17, p. 18). Now, researchers have paired 3-D satellite images of Mount Mantap with seismic tremor data to simulate how the mountain’s interior might have changed after a hydrogen bomb test on September 3, 2017.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This news was first reported over a month ago .... but the details are continuing to come out. On a side note .... I asked someone I know who was an engineer that prepared nuclear test sites for the U.S. when he worked for the US Department of Energy if the U.S. ever had an event that mirrors what the North Koreans went through on their test last year. The answer is yes .... there were many times that the yield of an explosion was underestimated .... but that was always factored in, and they made sure that the mine was deep enough to compensate for such a collapse. But even he admitted that the problem was that sometimes the sandbags that were used to plug the mine had a tendency to pop out like a champagne cork. Wow! I do not know if this is true .... but it must have been a quite sight to see it if it did happen.

More News On Reports That Damage To North Korea’s Nuclear Test Site Was Worse Than Previously Disclosed

Satellite Analysis Shows North Korea’s 2017 Nuclear Test Literally Moved a Mountain -- Gizmodo
Something's going on at North Korea's nuclear test site. Maybe it really is closing. -- Washington Post
Damage to North Korea’s Nuclear Test Site Worse Than Previously Thought -- WSJ
After North Korea detonated a nuclear bomb inside a mountain, scientists watched it move -- Mashable

A Look At North Korea's Nuclear Threat (In 3 Charts)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the intermediate-range ballistic missile Pukguksong-2's launch test in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency, May 22, 2017. KCNA | Reuters

CNBC: North Korea's growing nuclear threat – in 3 charts

* Since 2011, Kim Jong Un has fired more than 90 missiles and conducted four nuclear weapons tests.
* North Korea remains the only nation to test nuclear weapons in this century.

While the details of the unprecedented summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un begin to take shape, experts are reminding everyone that North Korea spent most of 2017 perfecting its missile arsenal.

One expert even voiced his skepticism by comparing the relationship between the U.S. and North Korea to a recurring scene of frustration in "Peanuts" cartoons.

"Historically, every time Charlie Brown runs for the football, Lucy pulls it away," Thomas Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told CNBC. "It would be a remarkable thing if Lucy didn't pull the football out from Charlie Brown this time, but it's one of those things where I'll believe it when I see it."

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WNU Editor: The trend lines are clear .... North Korea has been making steady progress for years.

North Korea Fires-Up A New Nuclear Reactor While Reducing The Number Of Soldiers At Its Nuclear Test Site

Image from DigitalGlobe via Jane’s Intelligence Review

New York Times: North Korea Is Firing Up a Reactor. That Could Upset Trump’s Talks With Kim.

If President Trump actually meets Kim Jong-un in the next few months — an encounter that many American officials still doubt will come to pass — his challenge will be much larger than merely persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.

Mr. Trump must also get Pyongyang to give up the factories, reactors and nuclear-enrichment facilities that produce the nuclear fuel needed to build more weapons — even as new satellite evidence suggests that North Korea is expanding its production.

The satellite image above shows a new North Korean reactor that appears to be coming online now, after years of construction, according to analysts. It sits in the Yongbyon nuclear complex, where the North began its nuclear program in the 1960s. Today, the site boasts hundreds of buildings that lie along a loop of the Kuryong River and cover an area of more than three square miles.

North Korea insists the reactor is intended to produce electricity for civilian use. But the new reactor can also make plutonium, one of the main fuels used in nuclear arms. It can thus supplement the output of the aging, existing facilities at Yongbyon.

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WNU Editor: Talk about denuclearizing while firing-up a new nuclear reactor .... this is not going to impress anyone. As for the North Korean regime reducing its military presence at its main nuclear test site .... my gut is telling me that the reason why they are moving troops out is because the area is contaminated, and not safe for anyone to stay there for any long period of time.

More News On North Korea Firing-Up A New Nuclear Reactor While Reducing The Number Of Soldiers At Its Nuclear Test Site

New activity seen at North Korea nuclear site -- CBS/AP
North Korea begins testing experimental reactor at nuclear site despite 'denuclearization' talk -- FOX News

North Korea orders sharp cut in troop strength at nuclear site -- Asahi Shimbun
Report: North Korea reduces troops near main nuclear facility -- UPI

North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un Warns U.S. Of ‘Nuclear Button On Desk’. Offers Rare Olive Branch To South Korea

Reuters: North Korea's Kim says 'open to dialogue' with South Korea, will only use nukes if threatened

SEOUL (Reuters) - Kim Jong Un on Monday warned the United States that he has a “nuclear button” on his desk ready for use if North Korea is threatened, but offered an olive branch to South Korea, saying he was “open to dialogue” with Seoul.

After a year dominated by fiery rhetoric and escalating tensions over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, Kim used his televised New Year’s Day speech to declare North Korea “a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power” and call for lower military tensions on the Korean peninsula and improved ties with the South.

“When it comes to North-South relations, we should lower the military tensions on the Korean Peninsula to create a peaceful environment,” Kim said. “Both the North and the South should make efforts.”

Kim said he will consider sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics Games to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February.

“North Korea’s participation in the Winter Games will be a good opportunity to showcase the national pride and we wish the Games will be a success. Officials from the two Koreas may urgently meet to discuss the possibility,” Kim said.

Read more ....

More News On The North Korean Crisis

Kim Jong Un extends olive branch to Seoul while threatening Washington with 'nuclear button' -- UPI
Kim vows North will mass-produce nukes but open to talks with Seoul -- AFP
North Korea's Kim Jong-un issues threats and olive branch -- BBC
Kim says US should know North Korean nuclear force a reality -- AP
Kim Jong Un highlights his ‘nuclear button,’ offers Olympic talks -- NBC
Kim Jong-un: North Korea's nuclear arsenal is now complete -- The Guardian
Kim calls on North to mass-produce nukes, missiles -- AFP
Kim warns US that ‘nuclear launch button is on his desk’ -- Asia Times
Kim Jong-un uses New Year's message to claim US 'cannot declare war' on nuclear-armed North Korea -- ABC News Online
Kim Jong Un: North Korea has completed nuclear program, US will never attack -- DW
Kim warns Washington of ‘nuclear button on desk’ but vows ‘Olympic truce’ with South Korea -- RT
Kim Jong-un says 'nuclear button is on my desk', as he announces plan to mass produce and deploy warheads -- South China Morning Post
North Korea completes creating national nuclear force - leader -- TASS
North Korea Vows to Pursue Nuclear Weapon Despite Sanctions -- Sputnik
North Korea's Kim Jong-un 'open to dialogue' with South -- Al Jazeera

North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un Says Nuclear Launch Button Is On His Desk To Hit All Of The U.S. Mainland With Its Nuclear Weapons

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivers a New Year message on Monday. (Yonhap)

Reuters: North Korea's Kim says nuclear weapons will prevent war with U.S.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Monday that the United States will never be able to start a war against North Korea now that his country has developed the capability to hit all of the U.S. mainland with its nuclear weapons.

“The entire United States is within range of our nuclear weapons, and a nuclear button is always on my desk. This is reality, not a threat,” Kim said during a televised New Year’s Day speech.

“This year we should focus on mass producing nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles for operational deployment,” Kim said. “These weapons will be used only if our security is threatened.”

North Korea tested intercontinental ballistic missiles and conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September in defiance of international warnings and sanctions, raising fears of a new conflict on the Korean peninsula.

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WNU Editor: A Happy New Year from North Korea.

More News On North Korea's Leader Saying That A Nuclear Launch Button Is On His Desk To Hit All Of The U.S. Mainland With Its Nuclear Weapons

Kim says US should know North Korean nuclear force a reality -- AP

Kim calls on North to mass-produce nukes, missiles -- AFP

Kim Jong Un Says Nuclear Button to Hit U.S. ‘Always on My Desk’ -- Bloomberg
Kim Jong Un Says He Has a Nuclear Launch Button on His Office Desk -- Wall Street Journal

Kim Jong-un threatens to mass produce nuclear weapons -- Korea Herald

Former Top NATO-Commader: Someone Is Helping North Korea's Nuclear And Missile Program

The Hill: Ex-NATO commander: North Korea likely getting help with nukes, rockets from China or Russia

Retired Adm. James Stavridis, a former NATO supreme allied commander, in an interview on Sunday said North Korea is likely receiving outside help from allies like China, Russia or Iran as it races to develop its weapons arsenal.

“You’ve got to think that at least part of it is coming from either China or Russia and I have no evidence of that, but the idea that [North Korean leader Kim Jong Un] would simply be developing this on an indigenous basis within his own population of scientists simply seems unlikely given how fast it's moving," Stavridis told radio host John Catsimatidis on AM 970 in New York.

"It could also be cooperation between Iran and North Korea, which we do know has occurred in this nuclear space" Stavridis continued. He added that, "it's fair to say there is some level of outside engagement that has been helpful to [Kim's] program."

Read more ....

Update: North Korea is getting weapons help from China, Russia or Iran, retired NATO supreme allied commander claims (The SUN)

WNU Editor: North Korea has been working on its nuclear and missile program for a very long time. But it is true .... it appears that a decision was made by Kim Jong-Un in 2013 to expand the country's nuclear and missile programs, and we are now where we are today. Did North Korea receive help? Retired Adm. James Stavridis admits that he does not have any proof .... but there is already a lot of information and expertise out there, and some may have been tempted to sell their know-how to North Korea .... a point that I had speculated on a few months ago .... Report: Ukraine Sold Rocket Engines For North Korea's Missiles (August 14, 2017)

China Warns North Korea That Another Nuclear Explosion At Their Nuclear Test Site May Result In A Nuclear Fallout Catastrophe

South China Morning Post: Chinese scientists warn North Korea about disaster threat at nuclear test site

Researchers brief Pyongyang delegation on Beijing’s concerns over facility close to their border.

Chinese geologists have warned their North Korean counterparts of a potential catastrophic collapse of a North Korean underground nuclear test site on China’s doorstep.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Geology and Geophysics briefed a North Korean delegation in Beijing late last month on the threat of an implosion at the mountainous Punggye-ri nuclear facility, about 80km from China’s border.

A day after North Korea said it detonated a hydrogen bomb at the Punggye-ri facility on September 3, a senior Chinese nuclear scientist warned that future tests at the facility could blow the top off the mountain, causing a massive collapse. The scientist said radioactive waste could bleed from cracks or holes at the site and be blown across the border.

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Update: North Korea on Verge of Catastrophe at Nuclear Test Site, China Warns (Newsweek)

WNU Editor: The North Koreans better be listening to the Chinese. I guess this is also the reason why the North Korans are talking about this .... Foreign Minister: North Korea Could Test Hydrogen Bomb In Pacific (September 21, 2017).

Nuclear Organization Maps Out The Fallout From A North Korean Nuclear Explosion Over The Pacific Ocean

In response to inquiries: Rough simulation (Sept15-29) of #radio-isotope cloud from hypothetical atmospheric burst over Pacific: #CTBT #IMS pic.twitter.com/361ZBkoUy7

— Lassina Zerbo (@SinaZerbo) September 28, 2017

Daily Mail: How a huge radioactive cloud could spread towards Asia and the US if North Korea carries out a nuclear explosion over the Pacific Ocean

* Graphic shows possible spread of 'atmospheric burst' from North Korean nuke
* It reveals path of potential 'radio-isotope cloud' from a blast in the Pacific Ocean
* Simulation released by the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation
* Comes just weeks after Kim Jong-un ordered North Korea's sixth nuclear test

A new graphic has emerged showing how a radioactive cloud could spread towards Asia and the US if North Korea carries out a nuclear explosion over the Pacific.

The simulation reveals the possible two-week spread of an 'atmospheric burst' that could be unleashed from one of Kim Jong-un's nukes.

It was released on the Twitter account of Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation, which examines weapons tests.

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Nuclear Organization Maps Out The Fallout From A North Korean Nuclear Explosion Over The Pacific Ocean

Chilling graphic shows spread of radioactive cloud if North Korea detonates nuclear bomb over Pacific -- The Telegraph
A North Korean hydrogen bomb test in Pacific Ocean could bring ‘terrifying’ fallout, expert says -- SCMP
This is what would happen if North Korea popped off an H-bomb in the Pacific -- We Are The Mighty
Monitor Releases Simulation Of What Nuclear Strike On North Korea Would Look Like -- Zero Hedge
Alarming graphic predicts radioactive aftermath of N. Korean nuclear launch -- RT

Will North Korea Sell Its Know-How On How To Build Nuclear Bombs?

Kim Jong-un, center, before a nuclear test at an undisclosed location, according to the North’s state-run news agency. Credit KCNA

Daniel Salisbury, The Conversation: Will North Korea Sell Its Nuclear Technology?

North Korea is more than willing to breach sanctions to earn cash.

Earlier this month CIA Director Mike Pompeo suggested “the North Koreans have a long history of being proliferators and sharing their knowledge, their technology, their capacities around the world.”

My research has shown that North Korea is more than willing to breach sanctions to earn cash.

A checkered history

Over the years North Korea has earned millions of dollars from the export of arms and missiles, and its involvement in other illicit activities such as smuggling drugs, endangered wildlife products and counterfeit goods.

Still, there are only a handful of cases that suggest these illicit networks have been turned to export nuclear technology or materials to other states.

North Korean technicians allegedly assisted the Pakistanis in production of Krytrons, likely sometime in the 1990s. Krytrons are devices used to trigger the detonation of a nuclear device.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It is always about the money. And while I do not see North Korea selling a nuclear weapon or two (for now), selling the know-how is not a stretch. The question that needs to be asked is .... what are we going to do about it? Specifically .... since China has been the way-station for the North Koreans to do business with the outside world, what will the Chinese do to change this behavior. As of today .... aside a few sanctions .... the Chinese are not instilling much confidence.

North Korea Claims That It Has Developed A Hydrogen Bomb That Can Be Fitted Onto An ICBM

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un provides guidance on a nuclear weapons program in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang September 3, 2017. © KCNA / Reuters

Reuters: North Korea says it has developed more-advanced hydrogen bomb: KCNA

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Sunday it has developed a more advanced nuclear weapon that has “great destructive power” and leader Kim Jong Un inspected a hydrogen bomb that will be loaded on a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The report by North Korea’s official KCNA news agency comes amid heightened regional tension following Pyongyang’s test launch of two ICBM-class missiles in July that potentially had a range of about 10,000 km (6,200 miles) that could hit many parts of the mainland United States.

Under its leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea has pursued work on building nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles that can deliver them at an unprecedented pace, defying U.N. sanctions and international pressure.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: If true .... the geopolitical balance for north-east Asia has just changed significantly. On a side note .... the silence from China and Russia on this report is deafening.

More News On Reports That North Korea Has Developed A Hydrogen Bomb That Can Be Fitted Onto An ICBM

North Korea 'has missile-ready nuclear weapon' -- BBC
NKorea says it has loaded H-bomb onto ICBM -- AP
North Korea has developed H-bomb missile warhead: state media -- AFP

Kim Jong-un boasts North Korea has missile-ready nuclear weapon -- The Australian
North Korea claims to have more advanced hydrogen bomb -- The Hill
North Korea: Kim Jong Un watches 'H-Bomb' loaded on new missile -- CNN
North Korea claims to have hydrogen bomb for long-range missile -- Fox News

North Korea developed advanced hydrogen bomb, KCNA reports -- DW

North Korea says it has missile-ready hydrogen bomb -- Al Jazeera
North Korea says it has developed ‘advanced hydrogen bomb’ that can be fitted on ICBM -- RT
Pyongyang Claims It Now Has Hydrogen Bomb Small Enough to Mount on ICBM -- Sputnik International

Could North Korea Develop A Hydrogen Bomb?

The intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 is seen during its test in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang, July 5 2017. KCNA/via REUTERS.

Harry J. Kazianis, FOX News: North Korea could soon develop a hydrogen bomb more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan

As if the news out of North Korea wasn’t bad enough, things might get a lot worse within the next 18 months. We should not be surprised if the Communist dictatorship develops a hydrogen bomb – the ultimate atomic weapon – with the potential to kill millions of people.

A Defense Department official I spoke to recently on the condition of not revealing his name told me it now appears the North Koreans are working to finish development of an H-bomb, and that they could succeed in as soon as six to 18 months. Such a bomb would be many times more powerful than the atomic bombs the United States dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan that led to the end of World War II.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The North Koreans have the trigger to develop a hydrogen-bomb (i.e. an atomic warhead is the trigger) .... but developing a hydrogen bomb .... that is not going to be easy. The father of the hydrogen-bomb was once asked how easy (or hard) was it to develop a hydrogen bomb (Edward Teller with William Buckley on Firing Line). His answer .... extremely difficult, and only 200 or 300 people really understand the science and engineering. I can only hope that North Korea does not have someone like that.

Report: North Korea Increased Production Of Plutonium And Uranium For Its Nuclear Arsenal

A satellite image of the radiochemical laboratory at the Yongbyon nuclear plant in North Korea by Airbus Defense & Space and 38 North released on July 14, 2017. “Includes material Pleiades © CNES 2017 Distribution Airbus DS / Spot Image, all rights reserved.” Courtesy Airbus Defense & Space and 38 North/Handout via REUTERS

Reuters: Exclusive: North Korea may have more bomb fuel than thought - U.S. think tank

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thermal images of North Korea's main nuclear site show Pyongyang may have reprocessed more plutonium than previously thought that can be used to enlarge its nuclear weapons stockpile, a U.S. think tank said on Friday.

The analysis by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korean monitoring project, was based on satellite images of the radiochemical laboratory at the Yongbyon nuclear plant from September until the end of June, amid rising international concerns over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

The think tank said images of the uranium enrichment facility at Yongbyon could also indicate operation of centrifuges that could be used to increase North Korea’s stock of enriched uranium, its other source of bomb fuel.

There were signs too of at least short-term activity at North Korea’s Experimental Light Water Reactor that could be cause for concern, 38 North said.

Reuters received a copy of the report before its scheduled release later on Friday.

Read more ....

Update #1: N. Korea likely hikes plutonium production for nuclear weapons: report (Yonhap)
Update #2: Is North Korea Preparing For Nuclear War? Plutonium Production For Weapons Increasing, Report Says (IBTimes)

WNU editor: One cannot help but feel that the Doomsday Clock just moved closer to midnight.