U.S. says NK′s KN－08 intercontinental ballistic missile operational ″북， 핵

We begin with North Korea′s weapons capability. A senior U.S. military leader says Pyongyang now has the ability to fire a road－mobile ICBM capable of carrying nuclear weapons to the U.S. mainland，... adding to the list of topics for the U.S. defense chief to discuss with Japan and South Korea when he visits this week. Laah Hyun－kyung reports. The doubts about a North Korean missile are turning into a real threat. Many watchers had believed that... North Korea′s KN－08 intercontinental ballistic missile， paraded in 2012， was a mock－up，... but a senior U.S. military official says... Pyongyang has likely made a breakthrough. ″Our assessment is that they have the ability to put a nuclear weapon on a KN－08 and shoot it at the homeland.″ While refusing to explain the evidence，... Admiral Gortney said the missile is operational today，... but added that the regime has not yet tested the weapon. The KN－08 could have a range of up to 9－thousand kilometers， according to North Korea monitoring website 38 North，... which means it could reach the U.S. mainland. The U.S. is known to have about 30 ground－based interceptors on its West Coast... but the fact that the KN－08 is a road mobile weapon... is going to make it difficult for Washington to carry out a preemptive strike on the missile. The commander′s comments and the report... come amid U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter′s visit to Japan and Korea this week. The speculation is that these factors will make Washington′s alleged push for deployment of its so－called THAAD missile defense system to South Korea more legitimate. Laah Hyun－kyung， Arirang News.