Nuclear warhead claim stirs Japan

June 21 2003By Shane GreenJapan CorrespondentTokyo

Japan's vulnerability to an attack by North Korean missiles may have increased dramatically, with new reports yesterday that the communist state has developed several nuclear warheads for its ballistic missiles.

The United States unofficially told the Japanese Government in March that, for the first time, it had confirmation that North Korea had produced the warheads, according to officials quoted by the Japanese media.

US intelligence has long believed that North Korea has one or two crude nuclear weapons, and the communist state has recently openly admitted its nuclear capability. But the development of nuclear warheads - giving the North the ability to deliver nuclear weapons - would be a big advancement.

It would also further raise the stakes in the crisis over North Korea's nuclear arms program, which has shown few signs of resolution despite intensive diplomatic efforts.

The news is particularly unsettling to Japan, which is in easy missile range of North Korea.");document.write("

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The communist state is believed to have deployed 100 of its Rodong missiles that - with a range of 1300 kilometres - are capable of hitting Japan.

In 1998, Japan's vulnerability to a missile attack was brought home when North Korea test-fired a Taepodong missile over the Japanese mainland, landing in the Pacific.

The Japanese Government was characteristically cautious about the reports yesterday, although some comments from Government leaders indicated that the intelligence report from Washington had been received.

"We have received various kinds of information," Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said. "I'm not supposed to reveal it in detail." But he said Japan was "not in a position to make a conclusion" that North Korea had developed nuclear warheads.

Japanese Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he was unable to provide definite answers about North Korean warheads.

"We are exchanging various types of information with our allies," chief cabinet secretary Yasuo Fukuda said, noting that North Korea was a closed country. He said Japan did not have firm evidence, and "I believe that the United States probably does not either".

The report was first carried yesterday by the Sankei newspaper, which quoted Japanese and US sources.

They claimed that North Korea had developed several warheads, weighing between 750 and 1000 kilograms.

There was no information on how the US had obtained the information about the warheads, or how reliable it is.

Given the closed nature of North Korea, one of the biggest difficulties faced by Washington has been the lack of reliable intelligence about the communist state's nuclear activities.

North Korea admitted to a clandestine weapons program last October in contravention of a 1994 agreement with the US and its allies to end its nuclear ambitions in return for energy aid.

The threat of North Korea nuclear missiles will further add to the push in Japan for an upgrading of its defence.

Japan, with only a limited defence against a missile attack, is involved in talks with the US on joining the Missile Defence System.

As a first step, Tokyo is examining deploying a ground-to-air Patriot Advanced Capability-3 system. It is also considering deploying a missile interception system based on its state-of-the-art Aegis destroyers.