North Korea currently has as many as 150 nuclear weapons in stock and may ramp up the figure to more than 400 by 2040 as it seeks to strengthen its nuclear capabilities, an analyst said Wednesday.
The forecast by Lee Sang-kyu, chief of the nuclear security research division at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), came as the North has vowed to beef up its capabilities to produce nuclear material and relevant facilities.
In a key party meeting in late 2022, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for "exponentially" increasing the number of the country's nuclear arsenal. He reaffirmed the pledge in September last year, saying North Korea is steadily carrying out such a policy to deter any threats by enemies.
Lee estimated the North to own between 115 and 131 uranium-based weapons and between 15 and 19 plutonium bombs, bringing the total number of its nuclear arsenal to up to 150.
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