육사 정근홍 교수, 치명적 화학무기 '노비촉' 특성 밝혀내
A South Korean military professor has identified some key properties of Novichok, said to be the world's deadliest chemical weapon.
Jeong Keun-hong, a professor at the Korea Military Academy, had been studying Novichok since March last year to help prepare against its use in a terror attack or in war.
Developed by the Soviet Union, Novichok is believed to have been used last year in England in a failed attempt to assassinate a former Russian spy and his daughter.
It's said to be five to eight times more lethal than VX nerve agent, but its properties had remained largely unknown.
Professor Jeong's study revealed that Novichok combines more tightly with enzymes tighter than other nerve agents, making antidotes less effective.
His paper was published early this month in Royal Society Open Science.
