North Korea WARNING: Kim Jong-un developing BIOLOGICAL weapons amid World War 3 fears
NORTH Korea's increasingly aggressive stance against the United States and its allies has sparked concerns Pyongyang could be developing biological weapons.
North Korea could develop 'deadly' biological weapons
North Korea has been ramping up its weapons development programme as tensions between leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump continue to grow.
South Korean officials and independent weapons experts have warned Pyongyang could be harbouring the intent and capability to develop biological weapons.
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) expert Joshua Pollack said: "It seems North Korea invested a lot in imported equipment that cost them a lot and is, I think, unreasonable for any civilian application."
Reports suggest North Korea currently has 13 types of biological agents which it can weaponise within ten days, including smallpox and anthrax.
Speaking to CNN, Mr Pollack said: "Anthrax is virtually the ideal biological agent for weapon purposes.
"It’s a bacterium that is very hearty, it can survive all kinds of conditions, it can persist, it is very deadly. You can aerosolise it and spread it around."
The threat of WMD attacks from North Korea has been a constant for Seoul, which has been carrying out mock drills for years.
North Korea's gains in its WMD development have alarmed US analysts who fear a surge in mass production as frictions between Pyongyang and Washington continue to fuel fears of World War 3.
North Korea ramping up development of missiles to hit US
Anthrax is virtually the ideal biological agent for weapons purposes
A US military official said: "That the North Koreans have biological agents is knows, by various means.
"The lingering question is why have they acquired the materials and developed the science, but not yet produced weapons?"
The hermit state has defiantly continued its testing of ballistic missiles as angry rhetoric tyrant Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump continues.
On November 29, it test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile which it said was its most advanced yet, capable of reaching the mainland United States.
After the secretive state’s most recent missile launch, it warned it was now capable of striking any country in the world.
North Korea and the US has repeatedly clashed during a terrifying war of words as Kim Jong-un continues to defy international sanctions put in place to put a halt to Pyongyang’s weapons programmes.
Pyongyang blamed the US for the tensions in the region, claiming Donald Trump’s “nuclear blackmail” was behind the World War 3 fears, according to the rogue nation’s state-run media.
Photos from earlier December reveal a “consistently high” level of activity at the West portal of the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site, according to North Korea watchdog 38 North.
Mining carts, vehicles and personnel have been seen at the site suggesting a tunnel excavation is underway, as Pyongyang readies the tunnel for further nuclear testing.
North Korean intelligence recently reported “construction had resumed at a fourth tunnel (West Portal), making it unable to be used ‘for a considerable amount of time.’”