N. Korean defector raises fears of biowarfare
Report says soldier had anthrax antibodies
The reported discovery of anthrax antibodies in a North Korean defector renewed fears that the regime of Kim Jong Un is developing lethal biological weapons in violation of international law.
A South Korean intelligence officer told that nation’s Channel A television that one of at least four soldiers who defected from the North this year had the antibodies in his system. Senior defense analyst Shin Jong Woo said the anthrax vaccine probably is given to North Korean soldiers working on biological weapons projects.
Contact with anthrax can cause severe illness and death if not treated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The revelation came a week after reports that North Korea had begun tests to load anthrax onto intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Japanese newspaper
Asahi Shimbun, citing intelligence sources in Seoul, reported that Kim’s regime conducts heat and pressure resistance tests to see whether anthrax germs can survive the intense temperatures a missile encounters in Earth’s atmosphere.
North Korea denied it is developing chemical weapons.
The U.S. National Security Strategy accuses North Korea of researching “chemical and biological weapons” that could be delivered by missile.
The South Korean government imported 350 doses of anthrax vaccine Nov. 2 and stored them in a national army hospital. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has enough vaccine for 1,000 patients in case of biological terror attacks.