According to a U.S. report, North Korea continued nuclear activities last year and also owns biological weapons. 

The State Department made the assessment in its 2020 compliance report regarding Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments that was recently submitted to Congress.

The report said the North continued nuclear and missile activities in 2019 in violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty(NPT). It said the regime has not adhered to its commitments pledged in the 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs, and to return to the NPT and IAEA safeguards at an early date.

The department also believes Pyongyang has likely had a biological warfare(BW) program since the 1960s. The report stated that although the U.S. has fragmented insight into North Korea's offensive BW program, continued reporting illustrates that the North has these capabilities intended for use to counter U.S. and South Korean military superiority.

North Korea in late 2017 declared its continued opposition to the development, production, possession and storage of biological weapons. 

Similar conclusions were reached in the latest report released by the UN Security Council North Korea sanctions committee, which details the regime's violation of sanctions and missile launches.

The 267-page report said North Korea has continued to enhance its illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programs in violation of Security Council resolutions.

[Photo : KBS News]