North Korean President Kim Jong Un announced on June 4 that the country will strengthen its nuclear military capabilities at a "multiplicative" pace, and inspected a newly inaugurated nuclear material production facility.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Chairman Kim Jong Un visited a "new nuclear material production plant in operation". Here, the North Korean leader mentioned an ambitious future plan to strengthen the national nuclear force with exponential growth.
North Korea continues to reject pressure from the US and affirms that it will not abandon its nuclear arsenal. Pyongyang describes its path to developing nuclear capabilities as "unstoppable".
During the inspection, Chairman Kim Jong Un said that the production capacity of weapons-grade nuclear materials has more than doubled in the past 5 years.
Although KCNA did not announce the specific location of the new facility, analysts believe that this is likely the newly completed uranium enrichment plant in Yongbyon. North Korea is believed to be operating uranium enrichment facilities at 3 locations including Yongbyon, Kangson and Kusong.
Since the beginning of the year, North Korea has conducted 8 missile tests. Analysts believe that this may reflect Pyongyang's efforts to consolidate its position as a nuclear-armed nation in the context of weakening international norms.
North Korea withdrew from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 1993 and has since conducted 6 nuclear tests. This country is currently believed to possess dozens of nuclear warheads and is subject to many UN sanctions resolutions.
