After its 3rd successful nuclear test, how strong is North Korea?

North Korea was urged to take a number of steps in order to return to Six-Party talks. In fact, DiploNews' analysts were right when on January 25, they wrote that North Korea was likely to "post a nuclear reply to UN Resolution 2087," On February 12, their assessment proved true and North Korea has successfully conducted its third nuclear test in defiance of the international community's repeated calls for Pyongyang not to take any action that could escalate the tension. Now that sanctions proved inefficient to prevent North Korea from getting closer to a nuclear ballistic capability, it seems appropriate to get a quick overview of North Korea's military strength.

The country maintains the fourth-largest military in the world, and possesses "significant" conventional and asymmetric capabilities, said a top US Army official. The North Korean army has more than 13,000 artillery systems, more than 4,000 tanks and more than 2,000 armored personnel carriers. Experts believed its long-range artillery forces could hit the South Korean capital of Seoul. North Korea's air force has more than 1,700 aircraft, and its navy has more than 800 surface combatants. In addition, North Korea possesses the world's largest special operations force of over 60,000 troops. Finally, the North Koreans develop a growing cyberwarfare capability.

DiploNews interpreted Pyongyang's blunt refusal of any negotiations on denuclearization as something quite new which could prefigure that North Korea feels strong and able to cope with any repercussions, even from its so-called ally China. Even more relevant is the fact that Kim Jong-un's regime has acted coherently with its consideration of its nuclear program as the backbone of the State's security and integrity. Kim Jong-un is changing the rules and state news agency KCNA's reports were clear: North Korea becomes less unpredictable and more coherent, no matter the harm to world stability.

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