• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.421-433
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• 2021

The present multidisciplinary study, which is a nexus of engineering and political science, investigates how the modernization of Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons (NSNWs) affects the IAEA safeguards system based on the likelihood of the use of nuclear weapons. To this end, this study examines the characteristics of modernized NSNWs using Monte Carlo techniques. The results thus obtained show that 10 kt NSNWs with a Circular Error Probability (CEP) of 10 m can destroy the target as effectively as a 500 kt weapon with a CEP of 100 m. The IAEA safeguards system shows that the Significant Quantity (SQ) of 1 of plutonium is 8 kg, a parameter that was established when strategic nuclear weapons were dominant. However, the results of this study indicate that in recent years, low-yield nuclear weapons such as NSNWs have been more strategically interesting than strategic nuclear weapons as NSNWs require less plutonium than strategic nuclear weapons. Therefore, we would like to conclude that reducing the SQ of plutonium can result in more robust safeguards and non-proliferation strategies.

• 한국국방경영분석학회지
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.1-14
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• 1992

As North Korea signed 'the Korea Peninsula Non-Nuclearization Joint Declaration' at the end of last year as well as full-scope safeguards agreement with the IAEA in Jan.30 1992, her nuclear activity was incorporated into the international monitoring system and opportunities were arranged to .obstruct her nuclear weapon development and nuclear material diversion, which have been international issues up to recent years. However, achieving goals of the Joint Declaration and safeguards agreement should presuppose North Korea's sincerity toward the abandonment of nuclear weapon development. In this study, first of all, her nuclear policy, current situation of nuclear development and the capability of nuclear development are analyzed. Also, based on the analysis. attempts have been made to find methods of effective performance of the South-North Korea mutual nuclear inspection and the suggested methods are as follows; 1) Analysis of the limits of IAEA inspection and suggestion of its supplementary strategies 2) Securing and training professional inspectors for the South-North mutual inspection 3) Establishment of the verification technology to detect nuclear material diversion.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.219-226
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• 2024

Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has produced weapon-grade plutonium in a graphite-moderated experimental reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear facilities. The amount of plutonium produced can be estimated using the Graphite Isotope Ratio Method (GIRM), even without considering specific operational histories. However, the result depends to some degree on the operational cycle length. Moreover, an optimal cycle length can maximize the number of nuclear weapons made from the plutonium produced. For conservatism, it should be assumed that the target reactor was operated with an optimal cycle length. This study investigated the optimal cycle length using which the Calder Hall MAGNOX reactor can achieve the maximum annual production of nuclear weapons. The results show that lower enrichment fuel produced a greater number of critical plutonium spheres with a shorter optimal cycle length. Specifically, depleted uranium (0.69wt%) produced 5.561 critical plutonium spheres annually with optimal cycle lengths of 251 effective full power days. This research is crucial for understanding DPRK's potential for nuclear weapon production and highlights the importance of reactor operational strategy in maximizing the production of weapons-grade plutonium in MAGNOX reactors.

• 한국군사과학기술학회지
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.72-80
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• 2017

Gamma-ray has some advantages as a weapon: it has the ability to transmutate matter, high penetrability through materials, and it is very harmful to living things. So it is worth to study the features of gamma-ray weapon in order to utilize it. Such abilities were simulated on the basis of Monte Carlo simulation program GEANT4. For the simulation conceptual design of gamma-ray weapon was conducted. High energy electrons, which were necessary for the high energy gamma-rays, were produced by linear electron accelerator, of which the parameters were derived from the Pohang Light Source(PLS-II). Gamma-rays were get by bremsstrahlung mechanism. The spectra of gamma-rays, that were measured at distances of 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m and 2000 m, were gained by GEANT4.

• 안보군사학연구
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• 통권3호
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• pp.169-196
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• 2005

The point of Bush administraion’s foreign policy is to support the promotion and stability of Democracy in Iraq and counter terrorism and spread of WMD with his strong propulsive force caused by his reelection. In such an environment, there are his leadership, his team, himself, Kim Jung Il, and a new understanding of North Korea after September 11 as the effective factors of Bush administration’s policy toward Pyongyang. Bush administration’s foreign policy of North Korea also shows the process of North Korea’s nuclear weapon program and the future scenario of the Korean Peninsula with "the persistence of solving North Korea’s nuclear weapon program such as the method having done in Lybia", "the holding unconditional talks with Pyongyang, and "the continual concerns with human rights in North Korea." The purpose of Bush administration’s foreign policy of North Korea is to make North Korea do not support terrorism rather than remove the nuclear weapon in North Korea. The process of outlining South Korea’s policy toward North Korea must be considered for "national interest" with reasonable analyses not just hopes For this, South Korea must access systematically human rights of North Korea, prepare projects for a daring approach on North Korea, and strengthen South Korea’s defense ability toward North Korea with deep alliance with U.S and systematize the mutual understanding channel between U.S and South Korea. In conclusion, South Korea must try to get specific methods and practices about Bush administration’s foreign policy of North Korea with national wisdom

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제51권2호
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• pp.510-517
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• 2019

Increasing proliferation resistance of plutonium by way of increased $^{238}Pu$ content is of interest to the nuclear nonproliferation and international safeguards community. Considering the high alpha decay heat of $^{238}Pu$, increasing the isotopic fraction leads to a noticeably higher amount of heat generation within the plutonium. High heat generation is especially unattractive in the scenario of weaponization. Upon weaponization of the plutonium, the plutonium may generate enough heat to elevate the temperature in the high explosives to above its self-explosion temperature, rendering the weapon useless. In addition, elevated temperatures will cause thermal expansion in the components of a nuclear explosive device that may produce thermal stresses high enough to produce failure in the materials, reducing the effectiveness of the weapon. Understanding the technical limit of $^{238}Pu$ required to reduce the possibility of weaponization is key to reducing the current limit on safeguarded plutonium (greater than 80 at. % $^{238}Pu$). The plutonium vector evaluated in this study was found by simulating public information on Lightbridge's fuel design for pressurized water reactors. This study explores the temperature profile and maximum stress within a simple (first generation design) hypothetical nuclear explosive device of four unique scenarios over time. Analyzing the transient development of both the temperature profile and maximum stress not only establishes a technical limit on the $^{238}Pu$ content, but also establishes a time limit for which each scenario would be useable.

• 융합보안논문지
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• 제14권6_1호
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• pp.129-138
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• 2014

한국은 북한의 핵무기 위협에 우선적으로 대응하여야 하는 상황에 직면해 있다. 전략적으로 대응방향은 한국 자체 및 미국의 억제전력을 강화함과 동시에 현재 상태에서 그에 대한 현실적인 해결책은 선제타격을 통한 사전 제거라는 점도 인정할 필요가 있다. 현재 북한의 미사일 위협은 상존하고 있으며 미사일에 탑재시킬 정도의 핵무기를 소형화하는데 성공하였을 가능성도 매우 높다. 한국은 적의 미사일 방어에 관심을 가져야 하며 대공방어는 하층방어와 상층방어를 중심으로 한 전반적인 미사일 방어 체제의 구축방향을 토의 연구하는 한편 인구밀집 도시와 국가 전략시설을 방호할 수 있는 체계를 구축해야한다. 지금까지 북한의 핵무기 위협과 관련된 쟁점은 6자 회담과 같은 국제적이고 외교적인 접근에 의해 문제를 해결하려고 주 노력을 경주하였는데 이 방법이 과연 효율적인지, 북한의 핵무기 위협에 대한 정보의 신뢰도는 과연 어느 정도 인지와 이것을 기초로 우리 군의 방어태세의 하나인 킬체인(Kill Chain)이 효과적인 방어수단이 될 수 있는가 등이다. 지금까지 우리가 얻은 교훈은 북한이 스스로 핵무기 개발을 포기하지 않는 한 외교적 노력으로만 북한의 핵무기를 개발을 억제하는 것은 불가능하다는 것을 알았다. 외교적인 노력과 더불어 군사적인 방법으로 다양한 억제 대책도 실제로 시행할 수 있도록 준비해야 한다.

• 한국정보통신학회논문지
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• 제20권12호
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• pp.2410-2416
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• 2016

전 세계적으로 비핵화를 추구하고 있으나 북한의 계속되는 핵실험 등으로 핵폭에 대한 관심이 지속적으로 증가하고 있다. 핵 폭발 또는 우주환경에서의 발생되는 펄스형 감마선은 매우 짧은 시간동안 고에너지를 전달하기에 전자소자에 큰 피해를 줄 수 있다. 이러한 전자소자의 피해정도를 확인하기 위한 연구를 수행하려면 핵폭 또는 우주환경에서 발생할 수 있는 펄스형 감마선 조사시설이 필요하다. 본 논문에서는 펄스형 감마선 탐지 장치을 개발하고, 감마선 변환장치를 통해 펄스형 감마선을 생성한 후 그 출력을 분석하였다. 핵폭과 유사한 조건을 갖추기 위하여 포항가속기 연구시설의 전자빔가속장치를 이용하여 출력을 실험하였고, 그 결과 감마선 변환장치와 전지빔을 통해 생성한 펄스형 감마선의 방출과 그 출력특성을 확인하였다. 본 논문의 결과는 펄스감마선을 이용해야 하는 연구의 안정성과 정확성을 향상시키는데 기여할 것이다.

• 융합보안논문지
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.159-164
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• 2017

국제사회는 북한의 핵 미사일 도발을 실질적인 위협으로 인식하고 있다. 이러한 배경에는 북한의 핵 미사일에 의한 직접적인 공격도 우려되지만, 북한이 핵전자기파(NEMP)탄을 개발했다는 전자기파(EMP)관련 전문가들과 국내외 정보기관들의 분석과 평가가 있기 때문이다. 전자기파 전문가들은 다음과 같은 측면에서 북한의 핵전자기파탄을 우려하고 있다. 우선, 현대사회의 산업 군사 의료 생활시설 등은 전기 전자시스템으로 구축되어 있어, 북한의 핵전자기파탄이 고도에서 폭발한다면 모든 전기 전자기기는 무력화된다. 다음으로, 공격자의 입장에서 핵전자기파탄은 상대국의 전기 전자기기 시설만을 파괴하고, 인명을 살상하지 않기 때문에 국제사회의 비난가능성이 낮다는 판단을 할 수 있다. 마지막으로, 핵전자기파탄은 목표물을 정확하게 타격할 필요가 없고, 저급한 핵무기의 수준으로 광범위한 지역을 타격할 수 있기 때문에 대량살상무기(WMD)보다 더 위협적이라 할 수 있다. 이러한 측면에서 북한의 핵 미사일 개발에 대한 분석과 평가를 통하여, 북한의 핵전자기파탄 개발에 대한 전망을 하고자 한다.

• 한국군사과학기술학회지
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.454-466
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• 2017

North Korea intended to increase the power of its nuclear weapons and standardize warhead to be loaded in ballistic missiles through the $4^{th}$ and $5^{th}$ nuclear tests. In this study, three kinds of nuclear weapons that North Korea might have used in the $4^{th}$ and $5^{th}$ nuclear tests to achieve their technical goals were suggested. Monte Carlo modeling and various technical assessments have shown that boosted fission weapons are most likely to be used. Also, using the empirical formula considering the burial depth of explosion, we found that the yield of the $4^{th}$ and $5^{th}$ nuclear tests is at least twice as strong as that is expected it could be and the initial design power could reach 8kt before amplification. This means that North Korea has already achieved a substantial level of nuclear fusion technology through the $4^{th}$ test and has made a breakthrough in the miniaturization of nuclear weapons through the $5^{th}$ test. After two or three additional tests, North Korea is expected to have nuclear missiles equipped with nuclear warhead by 2020, which is expected to complete ballistic missile development.