ABSTRACT
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea) presents some of the world’s most challenging proliferation problems. Pyongyang has sought to develop and acquire weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems for decades, and has demonstrated the capability to produce nuclear explosive devices and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. The country also has a large stockpile of chemical weapons, and possibly biological weapons. If the DPRK decides to abandon its WMD arsenal and ballistic missiles, the process will require extensive resources, considerable time, and international cooperation. If the country were to collapse suddenly and unify with the Republic of Korea (ROK, or South Korea) on ROK terms, Seoul would face the urgent task of safely eliminating these weapons. This chapter will outline North Korea’s WMD and missile capabilities in order to frame the magnitude of the problem for future arms control and disarmament efforts on the Korean peninsula.
