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Defector says North Korea 'has one-tonne nuclear bomb'
Financial Times ^ | July 20 2005 | Anna Fifield

Posted on 07/21/2005 8:06:27 AM PDT by robowombat

By Anna Fifield in Seoul

Published: July 20 2005 03:00 | Last updated: July 20 2005 03:00

A North Korean parliament-arian who defected to the South says Kim Jong-il's regime has made a one-tonne nuclear bomb and is working on lighter weapons that could be fired more reliably, according to a South Korean magazine.

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The defector, who was a deputy in the Supreme People's Assembly, claimed to have visited Taiwan to tout North Korean missiles.

The report in the Monthly Chosun supports assumptions North Korea is not bluffing over its claim to be a nuclear state and is taking steps to ensure it can transport weapons. Beijing is likely to be alarmed by the claim that Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory, was approached about buying missiles.

However, some South Korean government officials are known to have doubts about the veracity of the Taiwan claim in particular and have suggested it was many years since the man was a deputy in the assembly.

A spokesman for South Korea's National Intelligence Service declined to comment on the testimony, although he said the Taiwan report was not true.

The magazine said the man, who is using the alias Kim Il-do and is believed to be in his early 70s, applied for political asylum in South Korea from a third country in May and was now being questioned by the NIS.

"North Korea has built a one-tonne nuclear bomb with 4kg of plutonium," the magazine quoted Kim Il-do as telling the NIS. "North Korean scientists have told Kim Jong-il that the nuclear weapon is functioning but they are actually sceptical about its performance."

Kim Il-do said North Korea was now trying to make miniaturised 500kg nuclear warheads because it doubted whether the one-tonne weapons would work properly.

He also reportedly told the intelligence service that Pyongyang was developing small submersible boats and stealth uniforms for soldiers that would be difficult to detect by radar, as well as "special weapons" for its 30,000-strong special forces.

The magazine said Kim Il-do served in the 11th Supreme People's Assembly, which runs from August 2003 to July 2008, and was involved with the Maritime Industry Research Institute, which develops and sells arms.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: koreandefectors; nknukes; proliferation

1 posted on 07/21/2005 8:06:27 AM PDT by robowombat
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To: robowombat

They have a 1-ton nuke. Is this yield, or weight?


2 posted on 07/21/2005 8:08:48 AM PDT by coloradan (Hence, etc.)
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To: coloradan
They have a 1-ton nuke. Is this yield, or weight?

I guess weight because later they talk about a 500kg bomb.

3 posted on 07/21/2005 8:10:37 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (Bork should have had Kennedy's USSC seat and Kelo v. New London would have gone the other way.)
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To: coloradan

Weight, I believe. Not throw weight.


4 posted on 07/21/2005 8:10:51 AM PDT by robowombat
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To: robowombat

"Defector says North Korea has one-tonne nuclear bomb"...and we would like to thank Bill Clinton for his help.


5 posted on 07/21/2005 8:13:20 AM PDT by cwb
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To: coloradan

1 ton? Heck that is smaller than a Davy Crockett yield!


6 posted on 07/21/2005 8:19:05 AM PDT by Paul_Denton (Get the U.N. out of the U.S. and U.S. out of the U.N.!)
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To: Paul_Denton

Weight not yield. Not sure how much 4kg of plutonium will yield or even if it's enough to go boom, but it would certainly exceed 1 ton output.


7 posted on 07/21/2005 8:23:31 AM PDT by conservativewasp (Liberals lie for sport and hate their country.)
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To: All
"North Korea has built a one-tonne nuclear bomb with 4kg of plutonium

Do they have the ability to accurately deliver it anywhere off the peninsula?

8 posted on 07/21/2005 8:23:54 AM PDT by Freebird Forever (abolish islam)
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To: robowombat
Nuke Effect
9 posted on 07/21/2005 8:24:51 AM PDT by bmwcyle (We broke Pink's code and found a terrorist message.)
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To: robowombat
And in the meantime, North Korea's people are eating grass and dirt to survive.

Dictators like Kim truly are satan's ambassadors.
10 posted on 07/21/2005 8:28:00 AM PDT by reagan_fanatic ("We must be tolerant and understanding of those trying to blow us to pieces" - Ted Kennedy & Co.)
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To: conservativewasp

Best I can find is yield of something less than 20 Kilotons, small but devistating if you're anywhere near it.


11 posted on 07/21/2005 8:28:07 AM PDT by conservativewasp (Liberals lie for sport and hate their country.)
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To: robowombat

I like the part about "stealth" uniforms that will hide men from radar. As if we used radar to pick up soldiers now! What century are these people living in?


12 posted on 07/21/2005 8:40:13 AM PDT by calex59 (If you have to take me apart to get me there, then I don't want to go!)
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To: robowombat

I'm wonly...so wonly...


13 posted on 07/21/2005 8:40:49 AM PDT by Frenetic
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