By Isaac Kim
"North Korea will soon have the capability to fire conventional, chemical and nuclear missiles that could hit the U.S. mainland," revealed Brad Roberts, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy on Aug. 26 (KST).
Roberts, who retired this year, gave a seminar on security in Northeast Asia at the Stimson Center in Washington D.C.
"The fact that North Korea has nuclear weapons and the obvious danger it imposes is something not to take lightly," he said. "North Korea's progress in nuclear weapon capacities in the past ten years is quite noteworthy."
He further explained, "North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong-un may turn out to be like Fidel Castro. What his father and grandfather could not achieve, he may try to accomplish.
"If he can get nuclear warheads onto his missiles, Kim won't need Moscow or Beijing's approval to attack South Korea, Japan and of course the U.S."
However, he didn't believe the Stalinist regime would try anything soon.
"At this moment, it's hard to be concerned about a nuclear threat from North Korea. But if they do attack either South Korea or Japan, the U.S. will respond as if it had been attacked directly."
"At the moment, it is hard to determine whether North Korea is fortifying its forces to barter peace talks with the U.S. or to wage a war," said former Deputy Assistant Roberts.
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Roberts, who retired this year, gave a seminar on security in Northeast Asia at the Stimson Center in Washington D.C.
"The fact that North Korea has nuclear weapons and the obvious danger it imposes is something not to take lightly," he said. "North Korea's progress in nuclear weapon capacities in the past ten years is quite noteworthy."
He further explained, "North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong-un may turn out to be like Fidel Castro. What his father and grandfather could not achieve, he may try to accomplish.
"If he can get nuclear warheads onto his missiles, Kim won't need Moscow or Beijing's approval to attack South Korea, Japan and of course the U.S."
However, he didn't believe the Stalinist regime would try anything soon.
"At this moment, it's hard to be concerned about a nuclear threat from North Korea. But if they do attack either South Korea or Japan, the U.S. will respond as if it had been attacked directly."
"At the moment, it is hard to determine whether North Korea is fortifying its forces to barter peace talks with the U.S. or to wage a war," said former Deputy Assistant Roberts.
