DPRK 'has several nuke warheads'

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is believed to have several nuclear warheads that could be mounted on a missile, an international security expert said yesterday ahead of a rocket launch that regional powers suspect will test weapon delivery technology.

But Daniel Pinkston, a Seoul-based expert for the International Crisis Group think tank that provides detailed analysis about the DPRK's nuclear program, stressed it is unclear if Pyongyang has mastered the technology necessary to miniaturize the warheads and put them on Rodong missiles, which have a range of 1,000 to 1,500 km. The DPRK is believed to have five to eight warheads, he said.

The National Intelligence Service, the Republic of Korea's (ROK) main spy agency, said it could not confirm Pinkston's claim.