North Korea has '3,000 to 5,000 tons' of chemical weapons

AFP reported on October 4 that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said that Pyongyang's chemical weapons arsenal is a "concern for peace and stability" on the Korean Peninsula as well as the whole world.

OPCW Director General Ahmet Uzumcu. (Source: AFP/TTXVN)

In an interview, OPCW Director General Ahmet Uzumcu estimated that North Korea has between 3,000 and 5,000 tons of chemical weapons.

North Korea has always publicly asserted that it does not have chemical weapons, however the US-based non-profit organization Nuclear Threat Initiative believes that Pyongyang possesses many dangerous poisons such as sarin or VX.

“The international community needs to be concerned about North Korea because it is extremely unpredictable,” Mr. Uzumcu stressed. According to Mr. Uzumcu, countries need to increase pressure to force Pyongyang to give up its chemical weapons arsenal.

The OPCW director said North Korea has not yet responded to letters sent by him and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and does not want to meet to discuss the chemical weapons issue./.

According to VNA/VN+