Reuters analyzed more than 50 of the leaked documents, labeled “secret” and “top secret,” which began circulating on social media in March and are said to reveal details about the military capabilities of a number of U.S. allies and adversaries. Reuters has not independently verified the authenticity of the files.
While the authenticity of the leaked files has not been confirmed, the Pentagon said on Monday that “internally there has been an unauthorized disclosure of classified material.” The Pentagon said the images circulating online include documents in a format similar to the type used to provide daily updates to senior leaders, although some of the content appears to have been altered.
A brief comment in the leaked document marked “classified” and analyzed by Reuters said that North Korea paraded an unprecedented number of intercontinental ballistic missile launchers during the event on February 8, although these launchers “were likely not operational.”
The Pentagon and North Korea's representative to the United Nations did not respond to requests for comment on the leaked documents related to North Korea.
The document also noted that North Korea's goal is to “demonstrate a high-level nuclear threat capability against the United States.”
According to the document, “North Korea parades these inoperable missile systems to present a larger and more powerful missile force than it actually has, in order to minimize the risk of damaging the real missiles.”
North Korea continues to develop its ballistic missile system, test-firing a series of advanced missiles in 2022 despite UN resolutions and US sanctions. North Korea continues to test missiles in 2023.
The leaked document also revealed that in 2024, “North Korea may still not be able to equip all of the ICBMs it paraded with missiles capable of hitting the entire US mainland, due to challenges encountered during test firing as well as resource limitations.”
Photos posted by North Korean state media of the February 8 event showed more intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) than Pyongyang had ever shown before, along with some indications of solid-fuel weapons systems.
These photos show 11 Hwasong-17 missiles, North Korea's largest intercontinental missile, which is believed to be capable of delivering a nuclear strike anywhere in the world .
The Hwasong-17 missile is expected to begin testing in 2022. Analysts said the parade also featured solid-fuel missile launchers alongside the missiles. North Korea has sometimes used mock-ups in the past.
North Korea has long aimed to develop solid-fuel intercontinental missiles, as such weapons are difficult to detect and destroy in conflicts.
Nguyen Quang Minh (According to Reuters/Photo: REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Pool)
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