SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea, under the leadership of Kim Jong-un, continues to develop a robust nuclear deterrent, expanding from land-based launch systems to a “nuclear triad” that includes ground-, sea-, and air-based assets. This strategy enhances North Korea’s second-strike capabilities and reduces vulnerability to attacks through better dispersal and concealment.

According to 38 North, North Korea currently possesses around 60 nuclear warheads. Analysts note that this aggressive and costly approach has been validated by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, where Iran, lacking nuclear weapons, has suffered heavy damage from Israeli and American air strikes.

Kim Jong-un’s nuclear program, initiated by his late father who oversaw North Korea’s first nuclear detonation in 2006, appears to have fortified one of the world’s most repressive regimes against external attacks. Despite the high costs, this development serves as a warning to the West as authoritarian governments worldwide observe the strategic benefits.

Yang Uk, a defense specialist at the Seoul-based Asan Institute, stated, “After seeing what is happening to Iran, Kim Jong Un has done the right thing not to do a [denuclearization] deal with the U.S. They want to show the U.S. that they are different from Iran: ’We have nuclear weapons, we have a survivable nuclear retaliation capability.”

Economically, Kim’s export of military assets has reduced Pyongyang’s reliance on Beijing, a dependence that intensified after the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991. Publicly, China and North Korea emphasize their historical bond forged during the 1950-53 Korean War, when Chinese intervention prevented North Korea from being overrun by U.S.-led forces.

North Korea remains a highly repressive state where citizens lack fundamental human rights, including equality before the law and freedoms of expression, association, conscience, and religion.

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