N.KOREA'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS

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The United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea reported that although North Korea stopped testing its nuclear weapons and inter-continental ballistic missiles at the end of 2017, the regime is still operating its uranium enhancement facility. The committee also said that North Korea has developed missiles that can penetrate the ICBM defense system.

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“The uranium enrichment facility in Yongbyon is still in operation.” The UNSC Sanctions Committee on North Korea announced that although the regime stopped testing nuclear weapons and inter-continental ballistic missiles at the end of 2017, it still continues to upgrade nuclear and missile programs. A panel of experts made this assessment in a report on Pyongyang's violations of Security Council sanctions from February to early August. The sanctions committee also mentioned that light-water reactor constructions in Yongbyon and the dredging of the Guryonggang River are continuously observed. The committee expressed concerns that the new North Korean missiles are capable of penetrating ballistic missile defense systems. The short-range ballistic missiles launched on May 4th and 9th had flatter trajectories than that of conventional Scud models, making them capable of breaking through the defense network. Satellite images confirmed the existence of a solid fuel production plant and various mobile launch pads, which prove the communist state made great strides in missile technology. The U.N. Sanctions Committee on North Korea noted that the new Pukguksong-2 missiles powered by solid fuel were placed at the launch base for the Rodong missiles which used liquid fuel. This indicates Pyongyang's current goal is to develop a first-stage solid propellant for its inter-continental ballistic missiles. The committee highlighted that North Korea continues to disperse the ballistic missile facilities and hide them underground. The report also included findings on the regime's intel agency. The Reconnaissance General Bureau, hacked financial institutions or virtual currency exchanges around the world and stole up to two billion dollars.