Kim Jong Un vowed an “exponential” increase in nuclear military capabilities as state media reported the North Korean leader visited a new atomic facility.
The nuclear-armed country is believed to operate uranium enrichment facilities at three sites: Yongbyon, Kangson and Kusong.
Kim on June 3 went to a “newly-inaugurated nuclear materials production factory,” Pyongyang’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
KCNA reported that Kim noted an “ambitious future plan designed to beef up our state’s nuclear forces at an exponential rate.”
Rejecting pressure from the United States, North Korea insists it will not give up its nuclear arsenal, describing its path as “irreversible.”
While at the reported facility, Kim also said the “weapons-grade nuclear materials production capacity more than doubled during the past 5-year course.”
North Korea has conducted eight missile tests this year, which analysts say may reflect Pyongyang’s efforts to take advantage of eroding international norms to cement its nuclear status.
Although North Korea did not disclose the location, analysts said the facility was likely the newly completed uranium enrichment plant at Yongbyon.
With Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile a key issue in U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, North Korea appears to be “deliberately showcasing” its expanding nuclear capabilities to signal that denuclearization is not up for negotiation with Washington, Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies, said.
