U.S. assumes DPRK has N-warheads

Written by Chang on Friday, October 10th, 2008

Satoshi Ogawa Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

WASHINGTON–The U.S. military is prepared for any contingency based on the possibility North Korea possesses small nuclear warheads capable of being loaded onto missiles, the commander of U.S. forces in South Korea said Wednesday.

The U.S. Defense Department had said earlier it was unclear whether Pyongyang possesses nuclear warheads. Yet the comments by Gen. Walter Sharp, commander of U.S. troops in South Korea, showed Washington now recognizes the possibility of North Korean atomic weapons as a real threat, in light of Pyongyang’s nuclear tests in October 2006 and speculation that its leader Kim Jong Il has suffered serious health setbacks.

Sharp said at a Pentagon press conference that the United States and its allies should recognize and be concerned about North Korea’s claim of nuclear-weapons capability.

He also emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong U.S.-South Korean military alliance to prepare for anything out of the ordinary as North Korea should be considered a real threat.