North Korea likely ready to carry out major nuclear test as soon as Kim gives order, say South spies

North Korea also showing signs of preparing for additional spy satellite launches

North Korea's Kim Jong Un could conduct a nuclear test in a short time if he decided to, according to a report citing South Korea's military intelligence agency.

The Defence Intelligence Agency also said that North Korea was showing signs of preparing for additional spy satellite launches with Russian technical support in order to secure reconnaissance satellites with a higher resolution than existing ones, Yonhap reported.

The Defence Intelligence Agency could not be immediately reached for comment.

The country reportedly has a nuclear test facility at the Punggye-ri site.

In September Mr Kim said in a surprise speech that his country would exponentially increase its stockpile of nuclear weapons.

This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on April 30, 2025 shows the test-firing of a weapons system from the deck of North Korea's latest destroyer, the Choe Hyon, during two days of tests on April 28-29 off the coast of an undisclosed location in North Korea (KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Image)

In a speech marking the 76th anniversary of the founding of North Korea, Mr Kim said there would be no limit on the expansion of the country’s military prowess, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

It was Mr Kim’s first founding day speech since he assumed power in 2011, South Korea’s unification ministry noted.

South Korea’s defence minister warned in July that Pyongyang could be considering conducting a nuclear test close to the US presidential election in November.

“North Korea has completed preparations to conduct a nuclear test when a decision is made,” Mr Shin Wonsik said.

And last year the reclusive North Korean dictator warned that he could use nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with South Korea and the United States, as he accused them of provoking North Korea and raising animosities on the Korean Peninsula.

In a speech at a university named after him, “Kim Jong Un University of National Defence”, he said that North Korea "will without hesitation use all its attack capabilities against its enemies” if they attempt to use armed forces” against North Korea, according to the North’s official Korean Central News Agency.

“The use of nuclear weapons is not ruled out in this case,” he said.

In September Mr Kim also supervised a test of a new rocket engine for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), a development aimed at building an arsenal capable of threatening the continental United States.

The official Korean Central News Agency reported the event as the ninth and final ground test of the solid-fuel engine.

Constructed with carbon fibre, it boasts 1,971 kilonewtons of thrust, surpassing past models. This follows Kim's recent visit to the research institute, with the engine earmarked for future ICBMs like the Hwasong-20.

Pyongyang has flight-tested various ICBMs with a potential range to reach the US mainland, including solid-propellant types that are easier to move, conceal, and launch quickly than older liquid-fuel missiles.

Mr Kim has also called for further advancements in long-range weapons, such as multi-warhead systems, to defeat missile defences.