Kim instructed officials to further increase output to meet long-term strategic goals.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un tours facilities during a visit to the Nuclear Weapons Institute and the production base of weapon-grade nuclear materials at an undisclosed location in North Korea, in this photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency September 13, 2024.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for an “exponential” expansion of the country’s atomic arsenal during a visit to a newly operational nuclear material production factory on Thursday. Kim said production capacity for weapons-grade nuclear material had reached more than double its previous level over the past five years and instructed officials to further increase output to meet long-term strategic goals.
During the visit, he was briefed on new production processes incorporating more advanced technology and reviewed current output targets and future plans. Photographs published by state media showed Kim walking between rows of cylinder-shaped equipment inside the facility, which some analysts said could indicate the location is at the country’s main nuclear complex in Yongbyon.
Kim said the expansion was necessary given what he called worsening security threats and long-term confrontation with “the most ferocious enemies” and reaffirmed the country’s policy of increasing its nuclear deterrence. A key consultative meeting on bolstering nuclear forces was held the same day, at which Kim outlined guidelines for accelerating both the qualitative and quantitative expansion of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.
The country has set out the sequence and safeguards for executing an ambitious future plan designed to beef up the state’s nuclear forces at an exponential rate.
“This is an historic event that has set up an epochal milestone in rapidly upgrading our nuclear capabilities,” said Kim. An official at South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said at a briefing in Seoul that the nuclear facility unveiled on Thursday was a uranium-enrichment site Analysts said Kim’s visit was aimed at reinforcing North Korea’s negotiating position ahead of potential diplomatic engagement while justifying an acceleration of its nuclear build-up.
, said the site visit could be linked to a potential trip by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pyongyang, noting that before travelling to Beijing in September 2025, Kim inspected plans for a new intercontinental ballistic missile, the “Hwasong-20. ” O’Carroll says, “The logic would be to demonstrate absolutely that de-nuclearisation is not possible, right on the eve of a contact with the PRC.
” Lim Eul-chul, a professor at South Korea’s Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, also linked Kim’s latest visit to Seoul as a pursuit of a nuclear-powered submarine and its talks with Washington over uranium enrichment rights, which he said Pyongyang may be using to justify accelerating its weapons programme.
“Even if South Korea does not proceed, the North will follow its own path, but such developments provide a convenient pretext to push its nuclear build-up faster and on a larger scale,” Lim said. North Korea is estimated to possess around 50 nuclear warheads, according to international assessments, though it has never disclosed the size of its arsenal.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
SAMA 32 heads back home as North West lands biggest music nightNorth West is getting ready for a memorable music celebration as the SAMAs return.
Read more »
South Africa Drawn in Tough World Cup Group with Mexico, Czech Republic, and South KoreaSouth Africa, under Hugo Broos, returns to the FIFA World Cup and is placed in a challenging group with co-hosts Mexico, Czech Republic, and South Korea for the 2026 tournament. The expanded 48-team format allows the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams to advance. South Africa opens against Mexico at Estadio Azteca, facing altitude and crowd challenges. Key matches include a must-win against Czech Republic and a potentially decisive game versus South Korea.
Read more »
SAMA 32 heads back home as North West lands biggest music nightSwae Lee confirms performance at the 2026 Hollywoodbets Durban July, joining Masego and other international music stars in a luxury lifestyle event that combines music, fashion, and hospitality.
Read more »
Bafana Bafana v South Korea: A football lesson will be taught at 03:00Bafana Bafana's final group-stage clash against South Korea may determine whether their World Cup campaign ends in glory or disappointment.
Read more »