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North Korea's ICBM arsenal may rise to 50 by 2035: U.S. intel report

Published: 14 May. 2025, 14:41 Updated: 14 May. 2025, 20:01

North Korea launches an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the East Sea in a photo released by its official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Thursday, hours after the launch was detected by Seoul. [YONHAP]

North Korea is projected to have 50 ground-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, by 2035, an intelligence agency of the U.S. Defense Department said in a report Tuesday.

The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) released the report on the current and future threats to the U.S. homeland, pointing out evolving missile threats from the North, China, Russia and Iran.

"North Korea has successfully tested ballistic missiles with sufficient range to reach the entire Homeland," the report said.

According to the report, the North is expected to have 50 ICBMs by 2035, a jump from the current 10 or fewer, while China is projected to have 700 ICBMs by that year, compared to the current 400 ICBMs.

The number of Russia's ICBMs is forecast to rise to 400 from the current 350 by 2035, while the figure for Iran is expected to jump to 60 from zero.

The agency defined the ICBM in point as a ground-based missile with a range exceeding 5,500 kilometers that flies on a ballistic trajectory and is typically armed with a nuclear warhead or warheads.

Yonhap