- US fears North Korea will be able to fix mini nukes to long range rockets in 2018
- Kim Jong-un said to be accelerating moves to boost all aspects of his defence
- Comes as regime said non-nuclear states had suffered US ‘invasion and plunder’
- Statement warns ‘the nuclear force of the DPRK has become a strong deterrent’
Kim Jong-un could be ready to fix miniaturised nuclear warheads on a rocket capable of reaching America within a matter of weeks, US officials have warned.
The North Korean tyrant is believed to be preparing for a 2018 breakthrough in work to mount mini nukes on to intercontinental ballistic missiles.
With just weeks to go before the new year, US officials say the dictator appears to be accelerating moves to boost all aspects of his nuclear and missile defence capabilities.
It comes as Kim Jong-un’s regime insisted it needed a haul of nuclear weapons as a deterrent against ‘invasion and plunder’ by America.
Kim Jong-un (centre) could be ready to fix miniaturised nuclear warheads on a rocket capable of reaching America within weeks, US officials have warned
According to CNN, a US official has warned that North Korea is developing an advanced version of its KN-20 missile that may be able to reach America.
This comes less than six months after Pyongyang launched its first ICBM, sparking international condemnation.
The developments mean US defence officials are having to recalculate the timescale of the threat posed by the hermit state.
Meanwhile, the country has unleashed another tirade of propaganda slamming the US.
In a ranting statement, Pyongyang hit out at Donald Trump and warned it was ready to defend itself.
The development comes less than six months after Pyongyang launched its first ICBM, sparking international condemnation
It said: ‘The nuclear force of the DPRK has become a strong deterrent for firmly protecting peace and security of the Korean Peninsula and the rest of Northeast Asia and creditably guaranteeing the sovereignty and the rights to existence and development of the Korean nation.’
The statement also made the case for continuing its nuclear programme by pointing out the ‘tragic situation of the war-torn non-nuclear countries which became the targets of invasion and plunder by the US.’
The international community has been working to come up with a response to North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missiles programmes that does not involve potentially catastrophic military action.
North Korea this year conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear detonation and has test-fired a volley of missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that, if perfected, could potentially reach the U.S. mainland.