Japanese media exposure: North Korea accelerate the development of tactical nuclear weapons

According to Japan's "Yomiuri Shimbun" reported on July 29, North Korea is accelerating the "tactical nuclear weapons" that can crack down on local regions including South Korea. According to statistics from South Korean military, from January to early June this year, North Korea launched about 30 missiles, of which at least 20 were short -range ballistic missiles. Due to improving the ability to change track, these missiles are difficult to intercept, so it has formed a new threat to Japan, the United States and South Korea.

It is reported that the General Secretary of the Labor Party, Kim Jong -un, personally observed the launch of the "new tactical guidance weapon" in April. The North Korean Society said on April 17 that the successful test of the test "improved the strike efficiency of tactical nuclear weapons" and "has great significance."

The plan to develop tactical nuclear weapons in North Korea was proposed for the first time at the Labor Party Conference held in January last year as a part of the "National Defense Science Development and Weapon System Development Plan".

The "Sample News" reported that North Korea ’s nuclear missile has always been considered to be based on intercontinental missiles that crack down on the United States. Intercontinental missiles with great power and the goal of destroying the main cities of the other party are called "strategic nuclear weapons".

The tactical nuclear weapons are mainly targeted by destroying enemy military facilities. Compared with strategic nuclear weapons, the range of explosion is also controlled at a lower level.

North Korea's six nuclear tests in the past have been considered as part of the development of strategic nuclear weapons. The sixth nuclear test explosion in 2017 is equivalent to 160,000 tons of TNT explosives, which is more than 10 times that of Hiroshima atomic bomb. North Korea also announced its hydrogen bomb test equipped with intercontinental missiles.

Profile picture: North Korean Academy of Defense conducts new tactical guidance missile test firing (North Korean China Society)

It is reported that the preparation of the seventh nuclear test has been completed, and some views believe that the test will be used to develop smaller and lighter warheads used as tactical nuclear weapons.

It is reported that in 2019, the talks held by Kim Jong -un and then US President Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam broke down. The two sides failed to reach a consensus on the United States' guarantee of the North Korean system's survival and sanctions, which prompted North Korea to determine to develop tactical nuclear weapons. North Korea began to perform new short -range ballistic missile tests from May of that year.

What is the purpose of the DPRK? Former senior officials of the Ministry of National Defense and Deputy Director of the Institute of Policy Research Institute, Kim Tingzheng, analyzed that North Korea is not confident in the range of intercontinental missiles in the United States, hoping to make up for the lack of deterrent capabilities through tactical nuclear weapons.

It is also pointing out that North Korea is far behind the Korean Army in conventional forces other than nuclear combat power, which has also prompted North Korea to develop tactical nuclear weapons.

The report pointed out that if the number of soldiers is simply compared with the number of soldiers, the North Korean army has 1.28 million, and the Korean army has only about 560,000, but the equipment gap is obvious. It can be said that North Korea's tactical nuclear weapons are common topics facing Japan, the United States and South Korea.

When it comes to Japan, North Korea has 300 "Ludong" medium -range missiles with liquid fuel and range of 1,300 kilometers. In the future, Japan may also face the threat of a new type of short -range missile. Because this missile may also extend the range after being improved to cover Japan.

The "Samsuit News" said that a review article in North Korea's "Labor News" in 2017 has been intimidated, saying that if a nuclear war occurs in the peninsula, Japan, which has US military bases, may be "first shrouded in mushroom clouds."

During the Cold War, the United States deployed tactical nuclear weapons at the US military base in South Korea, and was not withdrawn until 1991. The public opinion survey conducted by the Eshan Policy Research Institute of the South Korean Conservative Policy Research Institute showed that 59%of the respondents agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea again.

The "Sample News" believes that once the deployment, the United States and South Korea have lost the reasons that require North Korea to achieve unparalleled denucleization, and it will inevitably lead to the fierce opposition between China and Russia, so it is difficult to implement it now.

Preparation | An Peng

Review | Sun Peng

Edit | Xu Haiting

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