[USFK Forums] N Korea has 3-6 nuke warheads - USFK ex-commander [JoongAng]

[C. Y. Lee]

Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Tuesday, April 4, 2006

N Korea has 3-6 nuke warheads - USFK ex-commander

03.04.2006, 13.53

TOKYO, April 3 (Itar-Tass) - North Korea possesses up to six nuclear warheads, Leon J. LaPorte, ex-commander of the US Forces Korea (USFK), said in an interview published by the Joongang Ilbo newspaper on Monday.

LaPorte said North Korea has from three to six nuclear warheads, they had been produced before the US-North Korean framework agreement was signed and the nuclear potential increase is underway at present. General LaPorte was in command of a 30,000-strong contingent of the Pentagon in South Korea until February this year.

He said North Korea has an army of 1.2 million men and missiles capable of reaching Japan, LaPorte said he disagreed with statements of South Korea to the effect that the North Korean threat no longer exists.

The 1994 agreement was aimed at solving the former nuclear problem of Pyongyang. It envisaged, in particular, shutting down of the graphite reactor of the Chernobyl type operated by North Korea and construction of two light-water reactors that could hardly be used for military purposes instead of it.

It was planned to build the light-water reactors with funds provided by Washington, Seoul, Tokyo and the European Union. After North Korea뭩 withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in January 2003 the implementation of the agreement was suspended and the United States is currently pressing for its total annulment.



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