North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected a facility involved in nuclear material production and called for strengthening the country’s atomic capabilities, according to state media reports on Wednesday.
Kim visited the nuclear material production base and the Nuclear Weapons Institute, as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
During the visit, Kim was quoted as saying North Korea had achieved “amazing” results in nuclear material production last year, emphasising the need to exceed this year’s target in order to fortify “the nuclear shield of the country.”
He also stressed that enhancing the nation’s nuclear deterrent is “our invariable noble task” to counter the growing challenges posed by “hostile forces,” apparently referring to the US and South Korea.
Although the precise location of the facilities was not disclosed, photographs of Kim’s visit suggest he likely toured a uranium enrichment facility, a site he previously visited in September.
That visit marked North Korea’s first public disclosure of a uranium enrichment facility since 2010, when Pyongyang revealed the site to visiting American scholars at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex.
During the September visit, Kim underscored the necessity of expanding the number of centrifuges to “exponentially” increase nuclear weapons production.
Analysts believe Kim’s recent visit points to the continued expansion of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and view it as part of a strategy to secure sanctions relief and political concessions from the United States.
Former US President Donald Trump has expressed willingness to resume talks with Kim in a bid to revive diplomacy. In a recent Fox News interview, Trump referred to Kim as “a smart guy” and “not a religious zealot.” Asked whether he will reach out to Kim again, Trump replied, “I will, yeah.”
Trump met Kim three times during his first term, following a period of heightened tensions. However, the diplomatic efforts in 2018-2019 ultimately collapsed over disputes concerning American-led sanctions on Pyongyang.
North Korea has yet to directly respond to Trump’s overtures and continues its belligerent rhetoric towards the US alongside its weapons testing activities.
Experts suggest Kim may eventually consider talks with Trump, noting that he likely feels he now holds greater leverage due to his expanded nuclear arsenal and growing military ties with Russia.
On Sunday, North Korea announced the testing of a new cruise missile system – its third known weapons display this year – and vowed “the toughest” response to what it described as the escalation of US-South Korean military drills.
North Korea views joint US-South Korean military exercises as rehearsals for invasion, though Washington and Seoul have consistently stated that the drills are defensive in nature.
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In recent years, the United States and South Korea have intensified their military exercises in response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear programme. North Korea’s nuclear weapons can be developed using either highly enriched uranium or plutonium, while the country’s Yongbyon facility also produces weapons-grade plutonium.
In 2018, a senior South Korean official informed parliament that North Korea possessed 20 to 60 nuclear weapons, though some experts suggest the number could now exceed 100.
Estimates on how many nuclear bombs Pyongyang can produce annually range from six to 18.
