North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a uranium enrichment facility and called for an increase in weapons-grade material to strengthen the country’s nuclear arsenal.
For the first time, images of North Korea’s centrifuges used to produce fuel for nuclear bombs were shown on Friday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a uranium enrichment facility and called for an increase in weapons-grade material to strengthen the country’s nuclear arsenal.
Kim’s visit to the Nuclear Weapons Institute, detailed by state media, included rare photos of the centrifuges, offering a glimpse inside the country’s nuclear programme.
The photos showed Kim walking between long rows of metal centrifuges, though the report did not specify when the visit took place or the facility’s location.
Kim urged workers to increase the production of materials for tactical nuclear weapons, stating that the nuclear arsenal was essential to defend against threats from the U.S. and its allies, Reuters reports.
He emphasised that the weapons were needed for "self-defence and the capability for a preemptive attack."
The North Korean leader also warned that "anti-DPRK nuclear threats" from "U.S. imperialists-led vassal forces" had crossed the red line, according to the report.
South Korea condemned the unveiling of North Korea’s uranium enrichment facility, reiterating its refusal to accept Pyongyang's possession of nuclear weapons.
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi confirmed that the U.N. nuclear watchdog had observed activity consistent with the operation of a reactor and centrifuge facility at Yongbyon.
Kim called for an "exponential increase" in the country’s nuclear arsenal and the expansion of a new type of centrifuge to strengthen the production of weapon-grade materials.
Experts noted that the new centrifuges appeared smaller and more efficient, highlighting North Korea’s advancements in fuel cycle capabilities.