Explainer - Why nuclear disclosure is key first step in North Korea's denuclearisation
Channel: Good America
Date: 23/09/2018

SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New pledges made last week by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to curb his nuclear weapons programme may have opened the door to further talks with Washington, but just how much impact would they have on the North's nuclear arsenal?

At last week's summit with South Korea's President Moon Jae-in, Kim promised to allow outside inspections on key missile facilities, and expressed a willingness, for the first time, to "permanently" scrap North Korea's main nuclear complex.

While these are positive first steps, experts say they would do little to damage the country's larger nuclear and missile capabilities, nor demonstrate whether Kim is serious about giving up his nuclear arsenal.

The agreement by Kim and Moon also does not stipulate any plans by North Korea to declare a list of its nuclear weapons, facilities and materials, or a concrete timeline for denuclearisation.

With U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expected to meet his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho to restart nuclear talks as soon as this week on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, here is a summary of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile capabilities at stake.