There has been considerable speculation that North Korea is seeking to build nuclear weapons using highly enriched uranium (HEU) as the fissile material (rather than plutonium, which is believed to have been used in the first two tests). While it is not known whether North Korea has produced HEU for use in nuclear weapons, the country is believed to have an active uranium enrichment programme. By using HEU for nuclear weapons, North Korea could potentially overcome the constraints posed by its limited stock of weapon-grade plutonium. North Korea currently has enough separated plutonium to construct 6–8 nuclear explosive devices. A test using HEU could pave the way for an expanded … Continue reading Shannon N. Kile