N. KOREA UNVEILS TACTICAL NUKE WARHEADS

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea unveiled photos of what is presumed to be a tactical nuclear warhead, suggesting that it can be mounted on various missiles. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who has been overseeing nuclear weapons at the forefront, made a threat, ordering the military to be fully prepared to use nuclear weapons "anytime and anywhere".

[Pkg]

The tactical nuclear warhead called "Hwasan-31" is unveiled by North Korea. With a diameter of 50 centimeters, pictograms on the wall show the warhead is mounted onto various missiles including super large multiple rocket launchers and cruise missiles. Reporting on Kim Jong-un's inspection of a nuclear weaponization project, North Korean state media showed him inside a hall where over ten tactical nuclear warheads were on display.

[Soundbite] (N. Korean Central News Agency) : "Leader Kim Jong-un inspected the technological stage of the nuclear trigger, a comprehensive nuclear weapons management system whose reliability and safety has been verified."

Kim ordered the military to be fully prepared to use nuclear weapons "anytime and anywhere" and also ordered the expanded production of weapons grade nuclear materials. The North also claimed that nuclear striking drills were held. It said the two short range ballistic missiles fired Monday assumed the scenario of a hypothetical nuclear attack. The regime also claimed success in another test of a nuclear-capable underwater drone which the South Korean military earlier cast doubt, suggesting the claim was likely exaggerated or fabricated.

[Soundbite] Shin Jong-woo(Korea Defense Security Forum) : "N. Korea is trying to flaunt nuclear capabilities far advanced than what S. Korea perceived."

However it's still unclear whether Pyongyang successfully miniaturized nuclear warheads or standardized them to fit into various missiles. The South Korean military remains cautious.

[Soundbite] Lee Sung-jun(Joint Chiefs of Staff) : "A weapon is perfected when a test succeeds in a realistic field environment. Nothing of that nature has been confirmed yet and so the weapons' operability is being assessed."

As the North in the past unveiled nuclear warheads for a fission weapon or hydrogen bomb before conducting its 5th and 6th nuclear tests, observers speculate the latest disclosure may be a prelude to a seventh nuclear test.