US left TERRIFIED as North Korea reveals it can launch NUCLEAR WEAPONS on missiles
NORTH Korea’s nuclear capabilities are now so advanced that a top US official claims the threat Pyongyang poses “keeps [him] awake at night".
North Korea has mastered mounting nuclear warheads on missiles, the US warns
The hermit state is now able to launch a devastating nuclear weapon on a missile, a US defence official has warned.
US surveillance of Pyongyang has been cranked up since North Korea carried out its fifth nuclear test in September, triggering a 5.3 magnitude earthquake.
Experts now believe dictator Kim Jong Un has the capacity to mount nuclear warheads on Scud missiles, which can travel up to 110 miles.
But it is unclear if Pyongyang can attach missiles to larger rockets capable of travelling further distances.
It is also not clear whether North Korea has mastered hitting its preferred targets.
The US does not know what Kim Jong Un seeks to gain
The defence official said:"It is the threat that keeps me awake at night.
"You've heard other senior leaders say the same thing, primarily because we don't know what the 'Dear Leader' in North Korea really is after."
The official added: "Truthfully, they have the capability right now to be able to deliver a nuclear weapon, they are just not sure about re-entry, that's why they continue to test their systems out there."
Eerie propaganda music heard from North Korean border
Responding to the threat, the US is set to deploy an advance nuclear system to South Korea.
The Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system has been in production since 2008 and is due to be operational within 10 months, according to the Pentagon.
THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
Pyongyang has carried out five nuclear missile tests
However, although THAAD may help protect the West from the threat posed by North Korea, it may create tensions with China.
China opposes the system, believing it will compromise Chinese security and aggravate tensions with Pyongyang.