North Korea's Nuclear Weapons: Technical Issues
Abstract
This report summarizes what is known from open sources about the North Korean nuclear weapons program?including weapons-usable fissile material and warhead estimates?and assesses current developments in achieving denuclearization. Beginning in late 2002, North Korea ended an eight-year freeze on its plutonium production program, expelled international inspectors, and restarted facilities. North Korea may have produced enough additional plutonium for five nuclear warheads between 2002 and 2007. In total, it is estimated that North Korea has up to 50 kilograms of separated plutonium, enough for at least half a dozen nuclear weapons. While North Korea's weapons program has been plutonium-based from the start, in the last decade, intelligence has emerged pointing to a second route to a bomb using highly enriched uranium. However, the scope and success of this program may be limited, and North Korea says it does not have a uranium enrichment program.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 26, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA501310
Entities
People
- Mary B. Nikitin
Organizations
- Library of Congress