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.
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 [...]
North Korea’s New Long-Range Missile: Fact or Fiction?
Introduction North Korea’s unveiling of a new long-range missile in its April 15 parade, designated the KN-08 by Western experts, has caused a great deal of speculation. Some analysts have even concluded that the weapons on display were not real. The paraded missiles are certainly not weapons ready for launching. But I believe they are [...]
The North Korean Nuclear Program in Transition
The recent moratorium on missile and nuclear tests and uranium enrichment agreed between the US and the DPRK on February 29, 2012 failed its first test when North Korea launched, albeit unsuccessfully, a satellite on April 13. This article provides a snapshot of North Korea’s enrichment program and the various steps that the DPRK could take [...]
A Space Launch without a Space Program
The DPRK has sparked another diplomatic confrontation with its announcement that it intends to place a satellite in orbit as part of a peaceful space program. Often overlooked is the fact that while the DPRK has missiles, it does not yet have a recognizable space program. Missiles are in the news again with North Korea’s announcement that it [...]
The Unveiling of North Korea’s ICBM
North Korea’s planned satellite launch has been widely condemned on the grounds that there is little difference between a space launcher and a missile. US government spokesmen have declared that firing off a long-range rocket, regardless of payload, will violate the terms of the missile-test moratorium included in the February 29 understanding [...]
Preparing for the April DPRK Rocket Launch: A Timeline for the Next Three Weeks
Introduction It is no secret that North Korea plans to launch a satellite in a window between April 12-16, 2012 to coincide with the 100th birthday of Kim Il Sung, the founder of the country. It also plans to use an Unha-3 booster rocket launched from a new space port (Sohae Satellite Launching Station, a.k.a. Tongchang-dong Space Launch [...]
