Against the backdrop of tensions between North Korea and the US, the leader of the closed country, Kim Jong Un, stated that “our ultimate goal is to have the most powerful nuclear power in the world.” This, after the leader threatened to use nuclear weapons in response to any threat to his country, and after Washington reported that the closed country was preparing to test a Hwasong-17 missile.
In his speech in front of the army officers, he said that “the goal of building the nuclear force is to preserve the honor and sovereignty of the state and the people. The goal is to possess the most powerful strategic force in the world, the absolute power that has not been seen in the last hundred years.” According to him, “the scientists have made an incredible leap forward in developing the technology to attack nuclear warheads on the ballistic missiles.”
As mentioned, Kim Jong-un stated this week that his country is preparing to test the Hwasong-17 missile. According to the reports, the missile has a range of 15,000 kilometers, with sources privy to the details describing it as “the most powerful strategic weapon in the world, capable of striking deep within the United States.”
However, in Seoul and Washington they estimated that “the latest tests failed and the missile development process has not yet been completed.” Sources in the US also said that “although the missile does not yet pose an immediate threat to Washington or its allies, it raises concern among security officials in the country in view of Pyongyang’s success in accumulating an arsenal of missiles and nuclear capabilities that will become an existential threat in the future.”
According to American intelligence, North Korea has between 20 and 60 usable nuclear warheads, compared to a huge American arsenal of 6,800 warheads. American intelligence also reported that North Korea, which is subject to severe international sanctions, is capable of installing a nuclear warhead on its missiles, which can reach the West Coast of the United States, and military bases in the Pacific Ocean and Alaska.