NEW YORK: South Korea’s president has declared that North Korea is in the final stage of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the United States with nuclear weapons.
President Lee Jae Myung stated that Pyongyang’s relentless weapons programme continues despite international efforts to halt it.
“Whether to gain leverage in talks with the United States or to secure its own regime, North Korea has kept developing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) capable of carrying nuclear bombs to the US,“ he said during an address at the New York Stock Exchange.
Lee confirmed that while North Korea has not yet perfected the technology, it is very close to achieving a breakthrough.
“It does not seem to have succeeded yet, but it is said to be at the final stage, with only the re-entry technology left and that too looks likely to be solved,“ he explained.
The South Korean leader, who took office in June, has adopted a different approach to his predecessor by seeking improved relations with the North.
He proposed that the immediate international objective should be to halt further weapons development.
Speaking in New York, he said that “the goal should be to freeze nuclear development, ICBM development and exports”.
Lee argued that stopping the production of new nuclear weapons would provide significant security benefits for the region.
He also provided a stark assessment of North Korea’s current nuclear production capacity.
The South Korean president estimated his northern neighbour was producing enough material for “about 15 to 20 additional nuclear bombs each year”.
He issued a clear warning about the consequences of inaction.
“If left unchecked, the number of nuclear bombs would keep growing each year and its ICBMs would become more advanced,“ he said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has consistently rejected calls for denuclearisation.
Pyongyang has instead deepened its military cooperation with Russia in recent years.
Kim recently indicated a conditional openness to dialogue with Washington.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency, he said this week that he was open to talks with Washington, but only if he can keep his nuclear weapons. – AFP
