The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was estimated to be on its way to miniaturizing nuclear weapons, the South Korean defense ministry said Friday.

"North Korea (DPRK) has conducted nuclear tests three times. Doubts still remain over whether (the DPRK) has a capability to make small, light (nuclear) warhead that can mounted on missile," Kim Min-seok, spokesman at the Ministry of National Defense, told reporters at a press briefing.

Kim, however, noted that the DPRK was estimated to be on its way to miniaturizing the nuclear warheads.

His comments came after U.S. representative Doug Lamborn said overnight at a congressional hearing that the DPRK has the capability to deliver nuclear weapons with ballistic missiles, citing a classified report by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) . Lamborn added the report's assessment would have a low reliability. Endi