WMD
The realities of North Korea’s WMD ambitions are complex but so are the technological developments that make its programs possible. We will help our readers understand both.
Pit or Get Off the Shot: Is North Korea Going to Flight Test the Musudan or Not?
So, are the North Koreans going to test a fricking Musudan or what? Along with many of my close friends from my days as a research assistant at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), one of my first bosses was a rather colorful retired Army Colonel who would respond to our youthful indecision with a metaphor involving bodily [...]
North Korean Miniaturization
On Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 2:57 GMT/UTC, North Korea tested its third nuclear device. The official KCNA news agency stated: “It was confirmed that the nuclear test, that was carried out at a high level in a safe and perfect manner using a miniaturised and lighter nuclear device with greater explosive force than previously, did not pose any [...]
Obama’s Historic Visit to Myanmar and the Shadow of North Korea
As Air Force One touched down for the US’s first state visit to Myanmar, newly re-elected President Obama already had one victory in hand. Hours before his arrival, Burmese President Thein Sein announced that he had approved the adoption of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Additional Protocol, a measure which will likely also be [...]
Challenges Posed by North Korea’s Weapon-Grade Uranium and Weapon-Grade Plutonium: Current and Projected Stocks
Co-authored by Christina Walrond North Korea may be moving to increase the size and sophistication of its nuclear arsenal. This escalation follows the demise of the February 29, 2012 reciprocal arrangement between Pyongyang and Washington, and North Korean statements that it will bolster its nuclear deterrent. Although uncertainty surrounds [...]
North Korea’s Satellite Program
North Korea’s Kwangmyongsong satellites have progressed from a simple Chinese design launched in 1998, to a larger, more advanced version in 2009 and the latest model, the Kwangmyongsong-3 that it attempted to launch in April 2012. Since none of these satellites achieved orbit how they would perform remains just speculation. This article will [...]
Questions about the Unha-3 Failure
Three weeks have passed since the North Korean failed satellite launch and we’re still waiting for more information to accurately assess what happened. The United States, as well as Japan and South Korea, deployed many sensors in the region to watch the launch, and should have gathered very good data on what happened. However, it is unclear how [...]
