US Official: North Korea is Months Away from Capability to Strike the US with Nuclear Missiles

Robert Wood, the US Ambassador for Disarmament, stated at a conference in Geneva that North Korea is only a few months away from achieving the capability to strike the US with nuclear missiles. Wood mentioned that the warming of relations between North Korea and Seoul is merely 'superficial.' During the conference, which was held with the support of the United Nations, the US disarmament ambassador emphasized that North Korea's military capabilities must be dismantled. In response, the North Korean ambassador accused the US of exacerbating tensions between the two sides, claiming that it is the US that has deployed nuclear-capable weapons such as aircraft carriers around the Korean Peninsula. Wood stated, 'North Korea has accelerated its provocative activities to achieve greater capabilities in nuclear and missile production and has explicitly threatened the US and its allies in the region.' He added, 'North Korean officials have emphasized that they will not give up their nuclear weapons, and North Korea is only a few months away from having the capability to directly attack the US with nuclear weapons.' The US disarmament ambassador referenced the new US nuclear policy announced last week, stating, 'It has been reaffirmed that North Korea's illegitimate nuclear program must be completely eradicated in a verifiable manner that is irreversible.' The report mentioned, published on Friday, January 13, outlines the nuclear objectives of the US Department of Defense during Donald Trump's administration. This is the first time since 2010 that a report has addressed the US military's predictions of nuclear threats in the coming decades. In the new US nuclear strategy, North Korea is described as a 'clear and grave threat' to the US and its allies, warning that any nuclear attack by North Korea on the US or its allies would result in the end of the Pyongyang regime. The strategy emphasizes that there is no scenario in which North Korea could use nuclear weapons and remain intact. After his speech at the conference, Wood was asked what information he had to support his claim that North Korea would reach the capability to attack the US in a few months. He replied, 'There is no new information to share with others.' North Korea tested the 'Hwasong-14' missile twice in July of last year and tested the 'Hwasong-15' missile once in November, which is said to have the capability to reach US territory but does not yet have the ability to carry a nuclear warhead. The UN Security Council imposed various sanctions on North Korea last year due to its nuclear and missile activities. In recent weeks, signs of improving relations between Pyongyang and South Korea have been observed, with a North Korean delegation even attending the Winter Olympics in South Korea. The US disarmament ambassador also pointed to China and Russia, stating that these two countries are expanding their nuclear arsenals and are even 'developing new nuclear capabilities to threaten peace-loving nations.' After the conference, Robert Wood told reporters, 'We are not willing to ignore these activities and will respond to these growing challenges.' On the other hand, Jo Yong-chol, the North Korean representative at the conference, stated, 'US officials, including the Secretary of Defense and the Director of the CIA, have repeatedly referred to North Korea's missile threat to prepare the ground for a preemptive military attack.' Despite North Korea's military, missile, and nuclear development, the country faced famine in the mid-1990s, resulting in reports of hundreds of thousands to over three million deaths. Currently, some of the population, including children, are facing malnutrition. UNICEF reported that 60,000 children in North Korea suffer from 'dangerous hunger,' and North Korea has reportedly earned '200 million dollars' by circumventing sanctions. The US announced its new nuclear strategy focusing on countering Russia's actions, which has drawn severe criticism from Russia. The US also criticized a UN committee regarding human rights documents related to Iran and North Korea.