A soldier from North Korea who defected to the south has been found with anthrax antibodies in his system, sparking concern at the rogue state's biological weapons capabilities, it has been reported. 
 
 A South Korean intelligence official told local news network Channel A that the unnamed soldier had been either exposed to or vaccinated for anthrax and had developed immunity to the deadly disease. 
 
 "Anthrax antibodies have been found in the North Korean soldier who defected this year," the source told the network. 
 
 The report adds to growing concern that North Korea is developing biological weapons, especially in light of details published in 2015 by the Pyongyang Biological Technology Research Institute suggesting that such weapons are being made. 
 
 Anthrax can kill within 24 hours unless people have been vaccinated or antibiotics are taken. South Korea's military is expected to have an anthrax vaccine developed by the end of 2019, the country's defence ministry said. 
 
 There have been reports that Pyongyang is looking to mount anthrax onto intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US. 
 
 The Japanese newspaper Asahi reported how North Korea is experimenting with heat and pressure equipment to prevent anthrax from dying at high temperatures of over 7,000 degrees generated at the time of an ICBM's re-entry into the atmosphere. 
 
 Earlier in December, a White House report raised fears that North Korea was developing chemical and biological weapons that could be "delivered by missile." 
 
 Meanwhile, just before Christmas, North Korea said it is a "pipe dream" for the United States to think it will give up its nuclear weapons, and called the latest UN sanctions to target the country "an act of war" that violates its sovereignty. 
 
 It followed the hermit nation's launch of their most-advanced missile, the Hwasong-15. ||||| One of the North Korean soldiers who defected across the demilitarized zone was found to have developed antibodies against anthrax, according to a South Korean press report. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo 
 
 Dec. 26 (UPI) -- One of the North Korean soldiers who defected to the South in 2017 was found to have antibodies in his bloodstream, a sign Pyongyang possesses anthrax, the acute disease caused by bacteria. 
 
 South Korean authorities did not identify the soldier, who was either exposed to or vaccinated for anthrax, but did confirm he had developed immunity to the deadly disease before he defected, local news network Channel A reported Tuesday. 
 
 "Anthrax antibodies have been found in the North Korean soldier who defected this year," a South Korean intelligence official told the network on the condition of anonymity. 
 
 The discovery of the antibodies is causing concern in Seoul. 
 
 The disease can kill at least 80 percent of those who are exposed to the bacterium in 24 hours, unless antibiotics are taken or vaccination is available. 
 
 But South Korea's military has yet to secure an anthrax vaccine. 
 
 Defense Ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo has said an anthrax "vaccine is expected to be developed by the end of 2019," but not sooner, for the South Korean military. 
 
 North Korea has been suspected of developing biological weapons after the regime publicized the works of the Pyongyang Biological Technology Research Institute in 2015, run by the Korean People's Army Unit 810. 
 
 Pyongyang claimed the facility specializes in pesticide research but analysts have said dual-use equipment on the site suggests biological weapons are being manufactured in North Korea. 
 
 The news of possible North Korea anthrax development comes at a time when South Korean newsmagazine Sisa Journal is reporting the U.S. military in the South has continued to test live bacteria at local bases. 
 
 The Joint United States Forces Korea Portal and Integrated Threat Recognition, or JUPITR, is budgeted to receive about $9 million, according to the report. 
 
 The program, aimed to shape biological detection capabilities, is ongoing, according to Sisa. 
 
 Concerns spiked in South Korea after Seoul's defense ministry confirmed the U.S. military in South Korea imported samples of anthrax 15 times since 2009, and a shipment in 2015 exposed as many as 22 people.
– Blood tests on at least one of the North Korean soldiers that defected to the South this year have detected something extremely concerning, according to a South Korean TV channel. Channel A, citing an unnamed South Korean military source, says anthrax antibodies were detected in the soldier, suggesting Pyongyang could be ramping up its biological weapon capabilities, UPI reports. According to Channel A, South Korean authorities have confirmed that the soldier is immune to the deadly bacterium, though it's not clear whether his immunity comes from vaccination or exposure. Anthrax can kill within 24 hours if people are not vaccinated, the International Business Times notes, and the South Korean military says its anthrax vaccine will not be ready until the end of 2019. The news adds to concerns about possible biological attacks: The White House released a report last week that said Pyongyang had spent "hundreds of millions of dollars on nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons that could threaten our homeland," and Japan's Asahi newspaper recently reported that North Korea has been trying to find ways for anthrax to survive the high temperatures that intercontinental ballistic missiles experience.