According to US intelligence, North Korea, under the leadership of Kim Jong-un, is feared to be producing deadly viruses and bacteria as part of its biological warfare program, reports The Sun.
The United States intelligence believes that the leader of the communist regime has supplemented his already vast arsenal with lethal diseases such as smallpox and anthrax.
Experts from the US Department of State, who monitor compliance with arms regulation by foreign governments, have warned that these biological weapons (BW) could be more dangerous than nuclear weapons.
Viruses Spread by Drones and Sprayers
The State Department's report indicates that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) possesses a targeted, national-level offensive biological weapon program, including the technical ability to produce bacteria, viruses, and toxins as weapons. Intelligence reports mention that the DPRK produces biological products using genetic engineering.
"Pyongyang is likely capable of using BW agents through unconventional systems such as sprayers and toxin-injected pens previously used by North Korea for delivering chemical weapons, which could be suitable for the covert deployment of BW agents," the report states.
The United States contends that this program, which the DPRK has had since the 1960s, violates North Korea's global obligations. In 2020, bioweapon expert Andrew Weber mentioned that Kim Jong-un is using the global
Covid-19 crisis to develop biological weapons.
The greatest concern of the United States intelligence is that North Korea also has industrial facilities capable of mass-producing these weapons, which can then be spread using missiles, drones, aircraft, and sprayers.
The intelligence report also noted that the latter equipment has dual military and civilian applications, and can also be used in agriculture by the Koreans, making surveillance practically impossible.