North Korea Could Develop Weapons To Strike Britain Within Two Years

North Korea could potentially develop weapons capable of striking Britain within the next two years, MPs have heard today.

International tensions have been increasing after Kim Jong Un’s regime recently conducted a series of increasingly sophisticated nuclear tests. It’s believed their missile programme and capabilities have been expanding alongside the tests.

Defence minister Earl Howe told the cross-party Defence Committee that the capability of North Korea has been "significantly developed" over the past few years.

"We judge that they are capable of, certainly now, of reaching targets in the short range - by which I mean Japan, South Korea obviously and adjoining territories.

"Our judgment is it is probably six to 18 months before they will have an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile capability capable of reaching the coast of the United States or indeed ourselves."

But he warned that it is important to highlight how it is not deemed to be the case that Mr Kim's "programme is directed at the UK", adding how the threat to Britain "is not significant".

The Defence minister agreed that North Korea’s advancing nuclear capabilities places an additional premium on maintaing Britain’s nuclear deterrent. He added:

"I think whenever we debate the issue of the UK deterrent, the North Korean weapons programme is cited as a prime example of why we can never be complacent". 

Foreign Office minister Mark Field told MPs North Korea's "illegal pursuit of nuclear weapons does inevitably pose a serious and growing threat to the international peace and security".

He told the committee there is "little doubt" that the timeline of six to 18 months has "drastically reduced" over the last year, but stressed that conflict is not inevitable.

Mr Field said the UN and international community are continuing to put a "huge amount of pressure" onto North Korea "through all the means that we can".

The Tory MP said there is a sense that Mr Kim,

"wants to come out of the shadow of his father and particularly his grandfather".

But the defence minister Earl Howe also stressed: "Kim Jong Un knows that any attack by North Korea on South Korea or anywhere else, or use of nuclear weapons in any context, would be met with an overwhelming response."

When pressed on whether the UK would support a limited strike by the United States, Mr Field stated the UK’s support would only be if it has been sanctioned in advance, adding:

"Direct action would have to be within international law”.

With many Britons based in the region, both permanently and temporarily, Mr Field also confirmed to MPs that an evacuation plan is "under constant review".

Cover photo: PA