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North Korea revealed new long-range ballistic missiles that can deliver nuclear weapons in a military parade on 10 October, demonstrating the constant threat to humanity posed by the continued existence of nuclear weapons.
North Korea has the world’s smallest nuclear arsenal, with 30-40 nuclear warheads out of the world’s 13,400 total. Over the past few years, North Korea and the other nuclear-armed countries have poured resources into building and re-building their nuclear weapon systems.
In 2019, the nine nuclear-armed countries spent an estimated $73 billion on nuclear weapons; North Korea spent an estimated $600 million of that total.
The parade showed off a new long-range ballistic missile, which is one of the largest in the world, but has never been tested, as well as a new missile to be launched from submarines and other long-range missiles that have been tested in recent years.
Every new nuclear weapon system makes the world less safe. Reckless and boundless development of weapons of mass destruction cannot continue. North Korea must join the world’s majority in renouncing nuclear weapons and start the process of the complete and verified elimination of its nuclear arsenal.
Photo: Stefan Krasowski | North Korea's ballistic missile, North Korea Victory Day 2013 | Wikimedia CCBY2.0
