North Korea might be launching a ballistic missile next month, a South Korean general has warned. The test will take place around the October 10 founding anniversary of the Worker's Party, as per the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charman nominee Won In Choul.
It can be a new strategic weapon that the Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un threatened to debut in his message on New Year's Day. "Currently, recovery work from damage by recent typhoons is underway at the Sinpo shipyard. Once completed, (North Korea) could launch an SLBM (submarine-launched ballistic missile) by using catapulting devices following preparations for a short period of time," Won said as reported by the Daily Star.
North Korea Might Launch Ballistic Missile
The general believes that North Korea is at the stage of developing and also testing the latest SLMB. He said that those types of missiles can reach the US, but the atmospheric re-entry technology is not verified yet. Won said that the country is believed to have been developing the short-range ballistic missiles into the diverse platforms. "We are capable of detecting those new ballistic missiles, and such detection capabilities will be enhanced further when early warning radar systems are put into operation," he added.
In July, a report by the US Department of the Army warned that ther nation has up to 60 nuclear weapons and a 5,000 tonne stockpile of chemical weapons. Kim's regime might be successful in getting 100 such weapons by year end, as reported by Yoionhap. North Korea supposedly is the third biggest possessor of chemical agents, having 2,500-5,000 tonnes of 20 different types, as per the report. It is also believed that the country has an army of over 6,000 hackers who are operating in nations like China, Russia and India.
Kim Jong Un has been in the news for the last few months as there were speculations regarding his health. Many claims were made that the Supreme Leader was very ill and even there were claims that the leader has died. But North Korea released pictures of the Supreme Leader in recent times and quashed all rumors.
