North Korea on Sunday said it could kill everyone in Manhattan and burn the city “down to ashes” by mounting a hydrogen bomb on a ballistic missile.
The claim came from a report by North Korea’s state-run outlet, DPRK Today, which cited a nuclear scientist named Cho Hyong Il, according to the Washington Post. “Our hydrogen bomb is much bigger than the one developed by the Soviet Union,” the report said. “If this H-bomb were to be mounted on an inter-continental ballistic missile and fall on Manhattan in New York City, all the people there would be killed immediately and the city would burn down to ashes.”
Many experts doubt the country’s ability to launch a long-range missile that could hit the continental United States.
North Korea, under the rule of Kim Jong-un, last week threatened nuclear strikes on the U.S. and South Korea and was hit with more sanctions after a nuclear test and rocket launch this year, the Associated Press reported.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- What Student Photojournalists Saw at the Campus Protests
- How Far Trump Would Go
- Why Maternity Care Is Underpaid
- Saving Seconds Is Better Than Hours
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Ryan Gosling
- Scientists Are Finding Out Just How Toxic Your Stuff Is
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com