Scientists bring nuclear and missile knowledge to North Korea

North Koreans sent to study abroad may have acquired knowledge that helped develop its nuclear and missile programs.

North Korean graduate students at China's Harbin Institute of Technology. Photo: WSJ.

When North Korea tested a hydrogen bomb last weekend, many questioned why its nuclear program had progressed so rapidly, despite international efforts to keep it from getting its hands on advanced weapons technology.

According to WSJ, the answer may lie in North Korean scientists being sent to study abroad, especially in China, and then bringing back home in-depth knowledge of nuclear and missile technology.

When it first began pursuing its nuclear weapons program, North Korea relied on technology and experts from the Soviet Union, then Iran and Pakistan. Now it can rely on its own scientists, making Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions even harder to contain.

"We should pay attention to North Korean researchers abroad, especially in China," said Katsuhisa Furukawa, a member of the United Nations (UN) panel of experts that monitored sanctions against North Korea from 2011 to 2016.

After North Korea’s second missile test in 2009, the UN issued a sanctions package calling on countries to “prevent the teaching or training of expertise” that could help North Korea develop its missiles and nuclear weapons. In 2016, in response to North Korea’s fourth nuclear test, the UN banned the teaching of certain subjects, such as materials science, to its citizens.

One of the North Korean scientists who studied in China is Kim Kyong Sol, born in 1975. He was still studying at China’s prestigious Harbin Institute of Technology more than a year after the UN sanctions were imposed. Kim was then a PhD student in mechatronics—a combination of mechanical, electronic, and programming engineering. In March, he published a thesis in China, written with a senior engineer in the Chinese military’s space program.

After reviewing Kim's essay, Furukawa concluded that it fell into a prohibited category under UN sanctions.

The technological knowledge Kim learns could be used to stabilize spacecraft and absorb vibrations in rocket launch systems as well as reduce vibrations in cars, buildings and helicopters.

Kim returned home in June. China's Foreign Ministry said Beijing had strictly implemented all UN resolutions on North Korea. It did not respond to questions about Kim's case.

US officials fear Pyongyang took advantage of the lack of strict UN education sanctions before 2016 to send scientists to study abroad and bring back knowledge that could have both civilian and military applications.

Some officials fear that even with tough international sanctions in place, Pyongyang may already have the know-how to achieve its nuclear goals. The Wall Street Journal reported in August that U.S. intelligence had evidence that North Korea produces its own rocket engines, but a think tank report said the engines were from Ukraine or Russia.

In a report in February, UN experts said they found several North Koreans studying physics in Italy and four studying materials science, engineering and electronic communications in Romania last year, after the UN ban was imposed.

In 2016, UN experts said two North Koreans had trained at an Indian space technology centre before it was banned. Since 1996, 32 people have trained there, including one who was a leader at Pyongyang’s satellite control centre. The Indian space technology centre says it no longer accepts North Koreans.

China has been a destination for many North Korean scientists in recent years. 1,086 North Korean postgraduates studied in China in 2015, according to China's Ministry of Education. The ministry did not specify which universities they attended or what subjects they studied.

The research papers of North Korean graduate students in China from 2011 to 2016 were mainly in physics, engineering, mathematics, metallurgy and materials science, according to a study by South Korea's Hallym University. After sanctions were imposed, North Korean graduate students expanded into civilian fields such as medicine and mining, but also some in prohibited fields, including metal foams that protect against radiation.

Harbin Institute of Technology at a space technology event in April. Photo: Zuma Press.

Sending scientists to study abroad and giving them preferential treatment at home is central to leader Kim Jong-un's Byungjin (parallel development) policy, which means developing nuclear weapons and the economy simultaneously - a policy he has adopted since coming to power.

North Korean scientist Kim Kyong Sol went to China under cooperation agreements that several Chinese universities have signed with North Korean universities since 2010, including two that UN experts say have provided human resources and technology for Pyongyang's nuclear program: Kim Il Sung University and Kim Kaek University of Technology.

Kim and the other North Koreans lived quietly while studying at the Harbin Institute of Technology, staying in two-bedroom dormitories and rarely interacting with other students. They all received Chinese government scholarships that covered free housing, free tuition and a monthly stipend of about 3,000 yuan ($450).

David Albright, a former UN weapons watchdog, said it was common for countries seeking to develop weapons of mass destruction to seek knowledge abroad. They often send scientists to study and attend conferences. Chinese technical schools and training programs offer “opportunities to interact with people who have sensitive information, such as Chinese people who have been involved in military programs.”

Kim's Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) is one of China's top engineering schools. They conduct classified research on defense and space. Chen Zhaobo, Kim's HIT supervisor, said that while Kim did not have access to China's classified defense technology during his time there, his research would have both civilian and military uses, including in space.

Norman Wereley, a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland, said Kim's research was basic but could help him do more complex work back home. "He probably thought, 'If I want to control vibrations in a missile system, I already know how to do that,' " Wereley said. "I don't think he went to school for purely academic reasons."

According to VNE