The leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kim Jong-un, visited the opening of a new nuclear materials production plant. He said that over the past five years, the DPRK has more than doubled the output of materials needed to create nuclear weapons. This was reported by Bloomberg with reference to the Korean Central News Agency.
According to the publication, photos released by KCNA indicate that this is probably a uranium enrichment plant. Analysts suggest that the new facility may be located on the territory of the Yongbyon nuclear complex.
During a visit to the plant, Kim Jong-un said that over the past five years, North Korea’s capabilities to “produce weapons-grade nuclear materials” have more than doubled. He also announced “guiding principles of action” to further accelerate the “qualitative and quantitative strengthening” of the country’s nuclear forces, but the details of these plans are not yet disclosed.
Bloomberg notes that information about the new nuclear facility was made public amid reports of a possible visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to Pyongyang in the coming weeks. During a previous trip to the DPRK in 2019, Xi told Kim that “the world expects him to make progress in nuclear talks with the United States.”
US President Donald Trump met with Kim Jong-un three times during his first presidential term, but these diplomatic contacts did not force Pyongyang to curtail its nuclear program, Bloomberg adds.
As a reminder, on May 27, North Korea tested tactical ballistic, artillery and high-precision cruise missiles based on artificial intelligence, designed for modern warfare. The tests were supervised by DPRK leader Kim Jong-un.
