These Are the Nuclear Weapons North Korea Has as Fears Mount of Atomic Test

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has shown no interest in resuming disarmament talks with the US after agreeing in 2018 to work toward “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” Instead, he has been busy making his nuclear-equipped arsenal bigger, deadlier and better able to strike America and its allies in Asia. Kim fired off a record number of missiles in 2022 and brought his preteen daughter to displays of military might, signaling there’s another generation of leaders for the family dynasty, forged in the Cold War, that will depend on nuclear weapons for its survival.

An array of ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads to hit US allies South Korea and Japan, longer-range rockets that could strike American bases in Guam, as well as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) designed to deliver an atomic strike to New York or Washington. Kim has also modernized his missile arsenal, steering away from the Soviet-era Scud variants that had been a staple toward rockets that rely heavily on domestic technology and can be manufactured despite sanctions. He’s also seeking to improve the technology to miniaturize warheads for strikes in the region and increase the power of warheads for an ICBM.