We're starting with news from North Korea. The communist dictatorship says it's developed the ability to miniaturized nuclear weapons. Here's why that's significant: making nukes smaller is a key step toward being able to put them on long range missiles. U.S. military officials say America could intercept any potential attack from North Korea. 

 

And there's some debate about U.S. officials over whether North Korea really has this technology. The Asian country's government is very secretive. It's hard for others to verify the claims that North Korea makes.

 

Still, despite the numerous problems with its economy, North Korea spends a lot on defense and has a history of using its military to provoke other countries.

 

North Korea continues to ramp up the military rhetoric that we saw when we were on the ground in Pyongyang. While we were in the North Korea, just this month, the country boasted about launching a missile from a submarine. Of course, publicity photos of that event were later suspected of being doctored, which raises the question of credibility. Is Pyongyang embellishing the technology that they have in hand right now? Or do they truly have the capability to miniaturize nuclear weapons, in other words, to make them small enough to place them on some sort of missile and launch them towards an enemy, such as the United States? 

 

The Pentagon is certainly taking this threat seriously, even saying as recently as last month, they do believe North Korea has this kind of technology. And if that is the case, not only does it pose a threat and a grave concern to the United States, but also other powers in the Asia-Pacific region, China, India, Japan, South Korea, all within gunshot of North Korea and nervous anytime this militarized nation announces yet another development in its military technology.

 

North Korea spends a tremendous amount of money developing its nuclear program, often at the expense of feeding its own people. And while they say they want to connect more with the international community, they took another step towards isolation, when Pyongyang abruptly cancelled a scheduled visit by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to the Kaesong Industrial Complex. It would have been the first visit of its kind in some 20 years. The secretary general was hoping to discuss reunification. But instead, North Korea cut that trip off and made an announcement about another development in their nuclear program, further isolating this rogue nation. Will Ripley, CNN, Tokyo.