Overview
- Lawmakers briefed by South Korea’s Defense Intelligence Agency said a detonation using Punggye-ri’s No. 3 tunnel could proceed on short notice if Kim Jong-un orders it.
- Analysts reported intensified work to secure fissile material, including enrichment expansion at Yongbyon, with multiple lines for producing different nuclear warheads.
- The agency assessed North Korea’s ICBMs could exceed 13,000 kilometers in range, and noted progress on hypersonic systems, short-range missiles, and large 600-millimeter rocket launchers.
- DIA said Pyongyang appears to be preparing additional reconnaissance-satellite launches with Russian technical assistance to obtain higher-resolution imagery.
- The briefing cited about 300 short-range ballistic missiles supplied to Russia since October 2023 and indicated partial reactivation of facilities inside the Kaesong Industrial Complex.