North Korea's CBW Program: How to Contend with Imperfectly Understood Capabilities
Abstract
Any major conflict on the Korean Peninsula would put thousands of lives at risk even if it were well short of a nuclear exchange. The conventional forces aligned along the 38th parallel, the border between North and South Korea, are formidable. If a conflict were to erupt short of a nuclear exchange, many fear North Korea might use chemical or biological weapons (CBW). While there is some confidence in the assessments of North Koreas chemical weapons capabilities, comparatively little is known about its biological weapons capabilities. Lack of knowledge about North Koreas biological weapons capabilities is not unique. Aside from the United States, the former Soviet Union, South Africa, and Iraqcountries that have disclosed the nature of their past biological weapons programscomparatively little is known about other state biological weapons programs. Biological weapons programs tend to be among the most closely guarded weapons programs in a countrys arsenal. By contrast, extensive documentation and histories of nuclear weapons programs exist for virtually all the known weapons states as well as those that abandoned such programs. In recent years, while North Korea (formally the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea or DPRK) has gone to great lengths to demonstrate to the world its nuclear and missile programs, the country has hidden whatever CBW it may possess. As the international community grapples with how to reduce tension on the Peninsula, re-assessing what is known about North Koreas CBW program and considering options to minimize their role in the regimes security calculous is an important addition to the complex set of issues that U.S. civilian and military leaders must consider. This article attempts to put in context what little is known about North Koreas capabilities and offer some measures that might be taken to help curtail those capabilities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1056014
Entities
People
- John V. Parachini