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1 1 (December 18, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/goversr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service nforming the IegisI9tive debate since 1914 Updated December 18, 2024 North Korea's Nuclear Weapons and Missile Programs Overview North Korea continues to advance its nuclear weapons and missile programs despite U.N. Security Council sanctions and high-level diplomatic efforts. The country's ballistic missile testing, military parades, and policy statements suggest that North Korea is continuing to build a nuclear warfighting capability designed to evade regional ballistic missile defenses. Such an approach likely reinforces a deterrence and coercive diplomacy strategy-lending more credibility as it demonstrates capability-but it also raises questions about crisis stability and escalation control. Congress may wish to examine U.S. policy toward North Korea. U.S. policy as well as U.N. resolutions call on North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons and missile programs. Kim Jong Un has repeatedly rejected denuclearization talks. According to the U.S. intelligence community's 2024 annual threat assessment (ATA), North Korean leader Kim Jong-un views nuclear weapons as a guarantor of regime security. The Korea People's Assembly adopted a new law in September 2022 that reportedly expands the conditions under which North Korea would use nuclear weapons to include possible first use in situations that threaten the regime's survival. In September 2023, Kim promised to boost nuclear weapons production exponentially and diversify nuclear strike options. In response to these developments, the United States and South Korea have conducted joint military drills and convened the bilateral Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group and Nuclear Consultative Group to to strengthen extended deterrence, discuss nuclear and strategic planning, and manage the threat the DPRK poses to the global nonproliferation regime. The Biden Administration's 2022 Nuclear Posture Review said, Any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its Allies and partners is unacceptable and will result in the end of that regime. Nuclear Testing North Korea has tested a nuclear explosive device six times since 2006. Each test produced underground blasts progressively higher in magnitude and estimated yield. North Korea conducted its most recent test on September 3, 2017. A North Korean press release stated it had tested a hydrogen bomb (or two-stage thermonuclear warhead) that it was perfecting for delivery on an intercontinental ballistic missile. In April 2018, North Korea announced that it had achieved its goals, would no longer conduct nuclear tests, and would close down its Punggye-ri nuclear test site. It dynamited the entrances to two test tunnels in May 2018. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports say North Korea began restoring test tunnels in March 2022 and the test site remains prepared to support a nuclear test. Nucear Material Production North Korea reportedly continues to produce fissile material (plutonium and highly enriched uranium) for weapons. North Korea restarted its plutonium production facilities after it withdrew from a nuclear agreement in 2009, and is operating centrifuge uranium enrichment plants at the Yongbyon nuclear complex and possibly at Kangson. In November 2024, the IAEA reported construction and operations at the Yongbyon uranium centrifuge enrichment plant, Radiochemical Laboratory plant and Experimental Light Water 5MW(e) Reactor. Spent fuel from that reactor is reprocessed at the Radiochemical Laboratory to extract plutonium for weapons. The IAEA also reported ongoing uranium mining, milling, and concentration activities at Pyongsan. Fissile material production in large part determines the number and type of nuclear warheads a country is able to build. Nucdear arheads North Korean government statements show that the country is aiming to increase its stockpile of nuclear warheads and improve their design for a variety of delivery systems. Some nongovernmental experts estimate that North Korea has produced enough fissile material for between 20 to 60 warheads. Another goal of a nuclear weapon program is to lower the size and weight of a nuclear warhead for deployment on missiles, called miniaturization. A July 2017 DIA assessment asserted North Korea had achieved the level of miniaturization required to fit a nuclear device on weapons ranging from short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). Kim Jong-un in January 2021 said that the country was able to miniaturize, lighten and standardize nuclear weapons and to make them tactical ones. In his January 1, 2023, speech, Kim said the country would expand its nuclear arsenal and mass produce tactical nuclear weapons. The 2024 ATA said that Kim ordered a an increase in the nuclear weapons stockpile and the expansion of weapon-grade nuclear material production in March 2023. The ATA said that North Korea also unveiled a purported tactical nuclear warhead and claimed it could be mounted on at least eight delivery systems, including an unmanned underwater vehicle and cruise missiles. North Korea has conducted over 80 ballistic missile test launches since 2022, according to U.S. government officials. U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions prohibit North Korea's development of the means of delivering conventional and nuclear payloads, in addition to the nuclear weapons themselves. UNSC resolutions specifically ban all ballistic missile tests by North Korea.

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