Aug 10 (Japan Today) - The Japanese government was on high alert on Wednesday after an overnight news report that North Korea can now arm its missiles with miniaturized nuclear warheads.
Threats posed by North Korea "have reached the level at which we have to remain vigilant about and properly monitor whether it already possesses (such a warhead) or will soon do so," Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters.
Japan's newest white paper on defense, published Tuesday, referred to the possibility that North Korea has already succeeded in miniaturizing a nuclear warhead given that the country has already conducted five nuclear tests.
"Just as the white paper says, there is no question (North Korea's nuclear and missile programs) have presented a new threat," the new minister also said.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Pyongyang has successfully produced a miniaturized nuclear warhead that can be deployed via a missile, citing a confidential U.S. assessment. The report follows North Korea's launches of two intercontinental ballistic missiles last month.
