Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a newly launched nuclear material production facility, state media reported Thursday, as he vowed to press ahead with expanding the country's nuclear arsenal. Kim made the visit the previous day, accompanied by key party officials, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, where he outlined plans to "exponentially" bolster the country's nuclear forces. The report did not disclose the facility's location or other details.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim stated that the country's "weapons-grade nuclear material production capacity more than doubled" over the past five years, attributing the gains to the country's nuclear scientists. He emphasized the importance of expanding the nuclear deterrent "both in quality and quantity and in a sustained and accelerated way," citing "potential threats and unpredictable long-term crises" as reasons for urgency. The report also mentioned that "an important consultative meeting for bolstering up the nuclear forces" took place at the facility, during which Kim issued "the action guidelines for rapidly accelerating the qualitative and quantitative" buildup of Pyongyang's nuclear forces.