TOP NEWS North Korea Could Have Nuclear ICBM Next Year, South Says New York Times Japan detects radio signals pointing to possible North Korea missile test: source Reuters Russia ready to cooperate for peaceful resolution of N. Korean issues Yonhap News Agency EAST ASIA North Korea Could Have Nuclear ICBM Next Year, South Says New York Times11/28/17 North Korea has been conducting missile engine and fuel tests in recent weeks, with the goal of achieving nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities as early as next year, a senior South Korean official said on Tuesday. Japan detects radio signals pointing to possible North Korea missile test: source Reuters11/27/17 Japan has detected radio signals suggesting North Korea may be preparing another ballistic missile launch, although such signals are not unusual and satellite images did not show fresh activity, a Japanese government source said on Tuesday. North Korea may announce completion of nuclear program within a year: South Korea minister Reuters11/28/17 “Experts think North Korea will take two to three more years but they are developing their nuclear capabilities faster than expected and we cannot rule out the possibility Pyongyang may declare the completion of their nuclear program in a year,” said Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon at a media event in Seoul. RUSSIA/FSU/EUROPE Russia ready to cooperate for peaceful resolution of N. Korean issues Yonhap News Agency11/27/17 Russia is ready to cooperate with South Korea to peacefully resolve regional issues involving North Korea, Russia’s top envoy on North Korean nuclear issues said Monday during a meeting with his South Korean counterpart. U.S. NUCLEAR POLICY Pentagon continues to watch N. Korea ‘very closely’ Yonhap News Agency11/28/17 The Pentagon continues to watch North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile activities “very closely,” a spokesman said Monday after a news report claimed the regime may be preparing for another missile launch. OPINION AND ANALYSIS Russia is encouraged by a lull in North Korean weapon tests. It could end up disappointed. Washington PostAdam Taylor 11/27/17 [Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov’s] statement reflects a rare burst of optimism in the ongoing standoff over North Korea’s weapons program. Unfortunately, there’s a worrying hole in the logic: North Korea’s break in weapons testing may be seasonal, rather than strategic. The abilities – and limits – of North Korean early warning Bulletin of the Atomic ScientistsTerence Roehrig 11/27/17 How effectively can they detect attacks? How much warning will they provide the North Korean leadership? How will the capabilities and condition of Pyongyang’s early warning systems affect the nation’s response to military action? If South Korea or the United States attacked the north, the amount of warning Pyongyang received would depend on the specific military action. A large-scale military operation would be relatively easy to detect. But a small-scale strike such as a cruise missile attack would be much more difficult—and could force North Korean leaders to make difficult decisions based on very little advance warning. SPECIAL INTEREST What I Learned from the People who Built the Nuclear Bomb MIT Technology ReviewAshton Carter 11/27/17 Remembering the lessons the atomic physics generation taught me when I was starting out gives me hope about the role technologists can play in handling the bright opportunities—and civic dilemmas—that innovation brings. So too does my experience as secretary of defense.