While the U.S. has long demanded North Korea give up its nuclear weapons, the regime’s biggest display of warheads let the world know that Kim Jong Un has no intention of abandoning his atomic arsenal.
North Korea’s propaganda apparatus released photos for the first time in several years of Kim inspecting warheads designed for missiles to strike U.S. allies in Asia and deliver a nuclear bomb to the American mainland. Weapons experts said the images published this week indicate Pyongyang has made progress in miniaturizing its warheads, which increases its ability to deliver a nuclear strike.
The warhead display comes as Kim’s regime has shifted from one-time tests of a missile to evaluate performance to exercises that show it can deliver a coordinated nuclear strike on short notice. At this point, North Korea’s nuclear capabilities may have reached a stage where the U.S. may not be able to offer enough incentives to roll them back.
