Pentagon spy agency says North Korea can launch nuclear missile - lawmaker

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Pentagon spy agency concluded with "moderate confidence" in a study last month that North Korea has the ability to launch nuclear-armed ballistic missiles but the weapons would probably be unreliable, officials said on Thursday

The new study by the Defence Intelligence Agency appeared to be the first time the Pentagon spy agency had reached such a conclusion and illustrated the high stakes surrounding the escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula.