Report to Congress on North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons and Missile Programs

Over the past decade, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea) has advanced its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, which has raised the threat Pyongyang poses to the United States, U.S. allies in East Asia, and U.S. interests. In April 2026, a U.S. defense official testified that “North Korea’s nuclear forces are increasingly capable of targeting the U.S. Homeland, and its missile forces can strike South Korea and Japan with nuclear or conventional warheads.”

Since 2022, Russian and Chinese policies toward North Korea have shifted. The U.S. Forces Korea commander said in April 2025 that in return for North Korea’s assistance in its war against Ukraine, “Russia is expanding sharing of space, nuclear, and missile-applicable technology, expertise, and materials to the DPRK.”

According to the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community (ATA), Kim Jong-un views nuclear weapons as a “guarantor of regime security” and has “no intention” to renounce them. Congress could examine U.S. policies toward North Korea, including the implementation of sanctions, diplomatic efforts, and changes to U.S. and allied force posture.

North Korea has tested a nuclear explosive device six times beginning in 2006, at its Punggye-ri nuclear test site. The underground tests produced increasing estimated yields. North Korea last conducted a nuclear test on September 3, 2017. North Korea characterized its most recently tested nuclear explosive device as a hydrogen bomb (or two-stage thermonuclear warhead) for deployment on an ICBM. In 2018, North Korea announced it had achieved its goals and would no longer conduct nuclear tests. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)reported that North Korea began restoring test tunnels in March2022. A 2025 U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report stated, “North Korea has restored its nuclear test site and is now postured to conduct a seventh nuclear test.

Message from Jim Robinson:

Dear FRiends,

We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.

If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:

Click here: to donate by Credit Card

Or here: to donate by PayPal

Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794

Thank you very much and God bless you,

Jim

Article: lNorth Korea’s nuclear forces are increasingly capable of targeting the U.S. Homeland....

More fear/ war porn. The Neo Cons live by it, in other words, “ give us more money, our Arms industry needs more, more.....”

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.