Nuclear security

North Korea Preparing For Thermonuclear Weapon Tests: Report

North Korea may be preparing to test out its thermonuclear weapons at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site which is located in Kilju County in the North Hamgyong Province, a South Korean military unit said Sunday.

South Korea’s Chemical, Biological and Radiological (CBR) Defense Command said that North Korea has laid the groundwork to develop thermonuclear weapons and may already be producing tritium, a radioactive isotope necessary to build more sophisticated nuclear weapons, Seoul-based Yonhap news agency reported.

"Considering its research of nuclear technology, its history of underground and projectile tests, and elapsed time since its nuclear development, North Korea has the foundation for thermonuclear weapons," CBR said, according to Yonhap.