South Korea’s Defence Ministry said on Friday it doubted North Korea had the ability to launch a nuclear-armed ballistic missile as claimed in a report by the US military spy agency.
“North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests, but it is still doubtful that North Korea has made a small, light warhead that can be mounted on a missile,” ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told reporters.
But Kim added that the North was “getting to that stage” where it could miniaturise a warhead for missile deployment.
He was reacting to the findings of the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) that stated Pyongyang could be capable of launching a nuclear warhead, albeit an unpredictable one.