North Korea Reportedly Starts Groundwork On Thermonuclear Weapons Development and Testing, South Korea’s Chemical, Biological and Radiological Defense Command Says

by Jean Marie Abellana / Jan 06, 2016 01:01 PM EST

North Korea reportedly preparing to test thermonuclear weapon. (Photo by Cancan Chu/Getty Images)

South Korea's Chemical, Biological and Radiological (CBR) Defense Command reported Sunday that North Korea has already initiated the foundation for the development of thermonuclear weapons, starting with the production of tritium, a radioactive isotope necessary to build a more sophisticated type of nuclear weapon.

"We can't discount the possibility that the North's excavation of a new tunnel at its Punggye Ri test site could be designed for thermonuclear weapons tests," CBR said. "Considering its research of nuclear technology, its history of underground and projectile tests, and elapsed time since its nuclear development, North Korea has the foundation for thermonuclear weapons."

The International Business Times noted that the production of nuclear weapons is a complicated task. The development of weapons utilizing nuclear fission requires breaking larger atoms like Plutonium and Uranium into smaller ones. In the case of thermonuclear or fusion weapons, the process of combining atoms and technological facilities used for it are more complicated that it takes a significant number of years for a country to develop it successfully.

"Technologically advanced nations have tested and developed boosted fission weapons about 10 years after their initial nuclear tests," CBR added. "North Korea, 15 years after developing its nuclear capability, may be going ahead with heavy hydrogen production and warhead design."

However CBR said it is unlikely that North Korea has reached the "final stages of completing its hydrogen bombs" as well as the capability of directly testing them.

According to Yonhap News, North Korea has conducted three underground nuclear testing at the Punggye Ri testing site in 2006, 2009 and 2013. The country had also undertaken a series of rocket and long-range missile launches eight years ago. With its most recent launch in 2012, North Korea has placed a satellite successfully into orbit.

Some analysts and experts said that the North has the capacity to develop nuclear-tipped missiles and expand its nuclear arsenal by 2020.