South Korea's defense minister says North Korea possesses 1,000 missiles.

Speaking at a forum in Seoul, Kim Tae-young said the North's arsenal includes intermediate-range ballistic missiles and about 30 to 40 kg of plutonium.

He reiterated that Pyongyang is pushing ahead with its program to create highly-enriched uranium, a common method for making atomic weapons.

However it remains unclear whether the North has the technical capability to create a nuclear warhead.