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“NK can nuke S. Korea, Japan from ocean”

March 20, 2014

The British military authority says North Korea now has capability of nuking from the ocean using submarines. (Korea Times file)

By Ko Dong-hwan

The British military authority said North Korea now has the capability of nuking both South Korea and Japan from the ocean using submarines, reports said Thursday.

Britain’s International Institute for Strategic Studies released a report called “The Military Balance 2014.” It said North Koreans may have obtained technologies to reduce the sizes of nuclear warheads.

Using the technologies, they can attach the warhead, weighing up to one ton, on medium-range Nodong missiles. Launched from small-sized submarines, the nuclear missiles will be able to reach targets distanced as far as 900 kilometers.

The report said North Korea may also have stocked some 300 to 500 short-range Scud missiles that can travel from 300 to 500 kilometers. Although they cannot carry nuclear warheads, they can deliver chemical weapons, it added.

Joseph S. Bermudez, a North Korean military expert and Chief Analytics Officer at AllSource Analysis Inc., said North Korea is currently developing more powerful and diversified ballistic missiles. He said the state may now possess 600 to 1,000 ballistic missiles, including Scud-Bs and -Cs.

The report said North Korea spent 22 percent of last year’s GDP on national defense. South Korea spent $31.8 billion, or 2.9 percent of last year’s GDP, in that category, which is the world’s 11th following Brazil with $34.7 billion.