South Korea 2014 Defense White Paper Highlights DPRK Nuclear Threats

January 6, 2015

• The Republic of Korea Ministry of National Defense (MND) issued its 2014 Defense White Paper Tuesday, January 6 (KST). This is the first Defense White Paper to be published under the Park Geun-hye administration.
• The ROK formally acknowledges North Korea as a nuclear weapons state, using the term “nuclear weapons of North Korea” for the first time in a Defense White Paper, and referencing its continued Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) program.
• The Paper suggests North Korea has crossed the threshold of nuclear warhead miniaturization, stating the North has obtained “considerable” technical capability to mount warheads on ballistic missiles.
• The Paper suggests North Korean long-range ballistic missiles capabilities can now threaten the U.S. mainland, and also notes growing North Korean efforts to develop a sea-launched ballistic missile capability.
• The Paper cites the North maintains about 6,000 cyber-warfare personnel under its command, which is substantially larger than previous estimates.

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