How did North Korea's nuclear program begin?
North Korea began its nuclear program using a graphite-moderated reactor and a reprocessing plant in which they separated the plutonium from irradiated natural uranium. It's been said that the design for North Korea's reactor was copied from a design the British used to make plutonium weapons. The British later added the ability to produce electricity from these reactors. North Korea did this, too, although because their reactor is small it generated a relatively small amount of electricity, presumably supplied to a village adjacent to the Yongbyon reactor site.***
Where did the North Koreans get the designs, expertise and equipment needed to build their reactor?
The U.S. and the U.K. made their reactor designs public information as part of the Atoms for Peace conferences. [These conferences were launched following a December 1953 speech by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to promote nuclear energy worldwide. The Atoms for Peace program led to the declassification of hundreds of nuclear studies and reports.] Of course, building a reactor requires an effort to master certain technologies and to make, for example, very pure graphite so it won't absorb neutrons. For that North Korea sent quite a few people to the Soviet Union to be trained. The North Koreans saw nuclear as a path to energy and military independence.
How does North Korea's nuclear weapons arsenal compare with the world's other nuclear powers?
We're talking about enough plutonium to make 10 weapons or less. So not very much—but enough to ruin your day. The U.S. and Russia have thousands while other nuclear countries like the U.K., France, China, India, Pakistan and Israel have weapons numbering in the low hundreds.
Based on what we know about North Korea's nuclear arsenal, what is the extent of the damage it could inflict?
Their arsenal is a deterrent. They have the potential to blow a Hiroshima-sized hole in a city in South Korea or Japan, or several holes maybe. The question of whether they have designed these warheads so they can be carried by the missiles they have is unanswered. But I think nobody would bet against it. They've also been working on missiles that could reach the U.S., although without having a successful test to prove this.
What has been the rest of the world's reaction to North Korea's attempts to build a nuclear arsenal?
In response to Western concerns about the reactor, which had been discovered by surveillance satellites in the 1980s, Russia successfully pressed North Korea to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which it did in 1985. They were then expected to set up a system whereby the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] could inspect North Korean nuclear facilities, although they really didn't want the IAEA to look at evidence of their activities relating to past plutonium production. It got to be a cat-and-mouse game with inspectors.
Concerns over North Korea's nuclear program built up over a period of nine years until 1994, when the U.S. considered bombing the site. That was when Jimmy Carter parachuted—not literally, of course—into Pyongyang and reached an agreement with Kim Jong-il's father, Kim Il-sung, to freeze their atomic program. As part of the Agreed Framework, North Korea said it would freeze operation and construction of nuclear reactors, which were suspected of being part of a covert nuclear weapons program. In exchange they were supposed to get two light-water nuclear power reactors that couldn't be used to make weapons. In the meantime, we were also supposed to send them heavy fuel oil to compensate for the energy they weren't getting from the reactors they had shut down.
The U.S. claims that in October 2002 North Korea admitted to having a uranium-enrichment program that could be used to make nuclear weapons. North Korea denied having said it has such a program, but the damage was done. How did the Agreed Framework fall apart?
We stopped sending the heavy fuel oil. Meanwhile the schedule for completing the new reactors had slipped [from 2003 to 2008]. North Korea kicked out the IAEA inspectors and started reprocessing the irradiated fuel that had been in the reactor when it had shut down. They were able to capture something like 30 kilograms or so of additional plutonium for a few more bombs, perhaps 10 kilograms of which they used for their nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. Subsequently, North Korea irradiated more uranium in the Yongbyon reactor and produced 20 to 25 kilograms more plutonium.
*** In the mid-1960s Kim Il-sung built the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center 90 kilometers north of Pyongyang with help from engineers trained in the Soviet Union. By 1985 U.S. intelligence reports indicated North Korea had built a fully functioning nuclear reactor.
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Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Actually there's a lot of anxiety about both of them, and there's a concern with regard to North Korea that South Korea and perhaps even Japan might get so worried that they feel they need their nuclear weapons."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCome on guys. This is "Scientific" American. Proof read :P
I was watching a video on how some people were crying for the death of this Dictator (impressive are we going to cry if our politicians die I dont think so)...anyway here in México we wouldnt. I think the death of a Dictator is a new transition to better relations, his son is young and seems to have an open mind, even if he was trained for just one year in the position. People in north Korea did consider did past dictator as "divine" so there is a lot of religious stuff involved and idealization of this person. I think USA should be aware from South Korea and becareful, I was reading they tried to change plutonioum for food and they did agree so thats a positive sign. We need to becareful with Venezuela and Russia those countries are trying to invade USA and there are rumors that in México where I live there is Hezzbollah and Iranian groups doing some damage to our society -as we all know-.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNuclear weapons are not toys and the Pentagon should be very carefull on those communist countries where freedom of speech is limited and so is freedom to be different or to behave differently, because the prize for a communist regime is controll is manipulation, etc.
I see a better future...greetings
For a start they do not have a missile that can Carrie the nuclear bomb.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTeaepoodong 1 can not carry a nuclear bomb, the taepodong 2 does not work yet. it has failed in lots of test.
The only problem is the cannon fire. they can hit sk city and would make massive damage.
The only thing they could do for that, is put up 1 billion dollars worth of cheap $SK made blimps / balloons, that would see small damage from the cannon fire aimed to sk main city in range.
It would take hours to take out most of there cannons, there for the blimps would see small or no damage on the main city.
NK needs to be taken out, before that young psychopath that will go for it, get a missile that can work or hit a target in a city size are. there missiles are very inaccurate if they even works at all.
I know that NK's cannon weapons fire a round, then go back under ground. that would not be a problem because even if you did not use bunker buster bomb, (that you should not need to because they are not that deep under ground), you would drop it on the entry and that would blow up the opening and leave it trapped under ground.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisClinton is a full for letting them get nuclear weapons. at least they will not let Iran after that.
I would like to see a devise made like this.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBombs that blow up in the air & magnetize the cannons round made metal. the cannon metal rounds will then fly near the city where a massive like magnet electronic field will be under ground, and will pull them down to the ground before they can hit the city.
Well even if A jet fighter or missile had metal, components, chip, parts, or the seat belt, or the guns on them was made of metal, it will pull the jet fighter to the ground or severely damage the craft by ripping it out.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWell even if A jet fighter or missile had metal, components, chip, parts, or the seat belt, or the guns on them was made of metal, it will pull the jet fighter to the ground or severely damage the craft by ripping it out.
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