
North  Korea would possess some 20 nuclear bombs by 2016, and it could conduct  several rounds of detonation tests to miniaturize nuclear warheads, a  renowned U.S. nuclear scientist said Wednesday.
"North Korea is  presumed to have the capability of producing some four nuclear bombs per  year, and it appears that the North will possess some 20 nuclear bombs  by 2016," Siegfried Hecker, a research professor at Stanford University  who visited the North's Yongbyon nuclear complex in 2010, was quoted as  saying by Rep. Yoo Ki-june of South Korea's ruling Saenuri Party.
In April, Hecker estimated that North Korea had about 10 nuclear bombs, according to sources in Washington.
The  expert, who came to Seoul to participate in the 13th Korea-U.S. West  Coast Strategic Forum on Thursday, made the remarks during a Wednesday  meeting with a group of lawmakers of Seoul's parliamentary Foreign  Affairs and Unification Committee. Yoo is the head of the committee.
Speaking  of the communist country's attempts to miniaturize a nuclear warhead  for missiles, Hecker raised the chances of Pyongyang's further  underground tests.
"For the miniaturization, the North could  carry out several rounds of nuclear tests down the road," Hecker was  quoted as saying. "North Korea appears not to be sure (about the  technology)."
Pyongyang has conducted three nuclear tests since  2006, including its most powerful one with a uranium-based device in  February 2013. The bellicose state has threatened to carry out "a new  form" of underground test.
Though the North has yet to  demonstrate the miniaturization capability, officials and experts from  South Korea and the U.S. have said the communist country is believed to  have the technology to build nuclear-tipped missiles. (Yonhap)