NUCLEAR WEAPONS LAW
North Korea’s Defense Ministry has called joint US and South Korean planning against Pyongyang’s weapons of mass destruction a “serious security threat.” Pyongyang stated that the nuclear forces law of 2022 could be implemented if the threat continues. The law allows the use of nuclear in a variety of situations, including when a nuclear or other weapon of mass destruction attack is determined to be imminent.
THERE ARE ABOUT 60 NUCLEAR WEAPONS
It does not reveal the actual size of North Korea’s arsenal. According to SIPRI’s June 2026 estimate, approximately 60 nuclear warheads have been assembled and the country has enriched material that can produce at least 30 more warheads. Pyongyang is increasing its production of plutonium and highly enriched uranium, while Kim Jong-un aims to expand the nuclear arsenal “exponentially.”
SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN ARE IN RANGE
While Pyongyang’s KN-23 and KN-24 short-range ballistic missiles are designed for targets in South Korea, their medium-range systems can threaten Japan and US bases in the region. Longer-range systems provide the capability to reach as far as Guam. North Korea also aims to bypass US-Japan-South Korean missile defenses by developing maneuverable warheads and solid fuel technology.
CAN IT HIT THE USA?
The theoretical range of North Korea’s Hwasong-17, Hwasong-18 and Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missiles is enough to cover the US mainland. It is also possible that the solid-fuel Hwasong-18 will be deployed operationally. Hwasong-19, on the other hand, is considered a larger intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Pyongyang announces that it is targeting a range of 15 thousand kilometers. However, since North Korea has not tested its ICBMs in a full-range operational orbit to date, doubts remain about the warhead’s atmospheric re-entry reliability and accuracy.
