As part of its response to tough new sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council following its fourth nuclear test explosion on Jan. 6, the Pyongyang regime has threatened a new round of nuclear tests and claims to have developed a warhead design small enough to load on a ballistic missile.
Many analysts doubt Pyongyang has fully developed such a capability and they underscore the importance of restarting negotiations to try to halt further nuclear and ballistic missile tests, particularly of the KN-08 missile, that could allow it to perfect such a capability. For further analysis, see:
- “A Fourth North Korean Nuclear Test: What It Means; What Must Be Done,” by Daryl G. Kimball and Kelsey Davenport, Arms Control Now, updated January 19, 2016.
- “Five Things You Need to Know about Kim Jong Un’s Photo Op with the Bomb,” by Jeffrey Lewis, 38North, March 11, 2016.