North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toured a recently opened facility that produces nuclear materials and demanded a dramatic buildup of the nation’s nuclear weapons program, according to state media reports released Thursday.
The leader stated that the facility’s capacity to produce weapons-grade nuclear materials has more than doubled during the past five years, and he directed officials to boost production even further to achieve the country’s long-range strategic objectives.
State media KCNA reported that Kim received briefings about new manufacturing methods that use more sophisticated technology and examined current production goals along with upcoming plans during his facility tour.
The leader justified the weapons expansion by pointing to what he described as increasing security dangers and ongoing confrontation with adversarial nations, while restating the country’s commitment to continuously strengthening its nuclear deterrent capabilities.
According to KCNA, officials held an important strategy session the same day focused on strengthening nuclear capabilities, where Kim provided direction for speeding up both the quality and quantity improvements to North Korea’s nuclear weapons stockpile.
Kim announced that the nation had reached “responsible and significant decisions,” which included establishing the timeline and protective measures for implementing what he characterized as an extensive strategy to boost nuclear capabilities “exponentially.”
The leader declared that North Korea had “set a transformative milestone for the advancement of nuclear capabilities.”
