This has actually been known for a few years, well-known by those in the missile and rocket field. At one point, it was brought up in November 1999, but didn't get a lot of play in the media during the Clinton administration's official Kiss Up To North Korea phase. It was also brought up a number of times during the missile defense debate, and naturally, those opposed to a missile defense program (the media) didn't want it widely known in that context either.

The only reason that you're hearing about it now is that part of the Left's battle plan against Bush is to play the North Korea threat against the threat of Iraq. I'm not sure they even realize what it's going to do to the missile defense debate among others.

North Korea's WMD programs pose a major threat to the United States and its allies. This threat has advanced considerably over the past five years, particularly with the enhancement of North Korea's missile capabilities. There is significant evidence that undeclared nuclear weapons development activity continues, including efforts to acquire uranium enrichment technologies and recent nuclear-related high explosive tests. This means that the United States
cannot discount the possibility that North Korea could produce additional nuclear weapons outside of the constraints imposed by the 1994 Agreed Framework.



In the last five years, North Korea's missile capabilities have improved dramatically. North Korea has produced, deployed and exported missiles to Iran and Pakistan, launched a three-stage missile (Taepo Dong 1), and continues to develop a larger and more powerful missile (Taepo Dong 2). Unlike five years ago, North Korea can now strike the United States with a missile that could deliver high explosive, chemical, biological, or possibly nuclear weapons. Currently, the United States is unable to defend against this threat.

The progress that North Korea has made over the past five years in improving its missile capabilities, its record as a major proliferator of ballistic missiles and missile technology, combined with its development activities on nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, ranks North Korea with Russia and China as one of the greatest missile proliferation threats in the world.

--North Korea Advisory Group, Report to The Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives, November 1999



Where was the Clinton administration?