The U.S. State Department says North Korea has an offensive biological weapons program that dates back at least to the 1960s. 

In a report titled Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments, released on Wednesday last week, the department said North Korea runs the program in violation of its obligations under Articles 1 and 2 of the Biological Weapons Convention.

The report said North Korea has the capabilities to produce bacteria, viruses and toxins that could be used as biological weapons agents, stressing that these are for military purposes. 

It also said North Korea has the capabilities to genetically engineer biological products with technologies such as CRISPR, as reported by its State Academy of Sciences and other sources. 

The report added that Pyongyang probably is capable of weaponizing biological agents with unconventional systems such as sprayers and poison pen injection devices.