The Pentagon says the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea poses one of the most critical US security challenges in Northeast Asia as it pursues nuclear capabilities and develops long-range ballistic missiles.US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s first report on the DPRK’s military development to Congress says the DPRK is continuing to invest in nuclear infrastructure.
It conducted nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and earlier this year and could conduct more tests at any time. It also says Pyongyang’s development of a multi-stage rocket, highlighted by the launch of a satellite into space last December, "contributes heavily" to its efforts to build a long-range ballistic missile capable of hitting the US with a nuclear warhead.
The Pentagon believes that the DPRK’s large, military could inflict "great damage" on South Korea despite serious resource shortfalls and ageing hardware, but the strength of the US-South Korean alliance deters the DPRK from conducting attacks on its southern neighbor.
