Kim Jong Un vows rapid expansion of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal
New facility reportedly boosts production of weapons-grade nuclear material
North Korea may possess enough material for up to 90 warheads
Kim Jong Unveils New Nuclear Facility, Vows To Expand North Korea's Nuclear Arsenal 'Exponentially'
Kim claimed that North Korea's capacity to produce weapons-grade nuclear material has more than doubled over the past five years, though there is no independent means of verifying that assertion
Summary
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected a newly revealed facility producing weapons-grade nuclear material and declared his intention to expand the country's nuclear forces "at an exponential rate," state media reported on Thursday, adding fresh urgency to global non-proliferation concerns at a moment when the United States is already locked in negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.
The Korean Central News Agency said the plant employed "more sophisticated technology" but did not disclose its location or when it became operational. State media photographs indicated the facility likely to posses enrich weapons-grade uranium and warhead design.
Kim claimed that North Korea's capacity to produce weapons-grade nuclear material has more than doubled over the past five years, though there is no independent means of verifying that assertion. He praised the country's nuclear scientists for delivering on the goals of a five-year plan and said the nuclear potential being built was "inconceivable." Officials from the munitions industry and the Nuclear Weapons Institute accompanied the visit — a signal, analysts noted, that the programme has shifted from research and development towards mass production.
A Broader Nuclear Build-Up
The new facility is at least the third nuclear-related site Kim has toured since September 2024. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported in March that North Korea operates at least two active enrichment plants — at Yongbyon and Kangson — and flagged construction of a new building at Yongbyon with dimensions and cooling infrastructure consistent with a third enrichment facility.
North Korea is estimated to have enough nuclear material for up to 90 warheads and is believed to have assembled around 50, according to a Congressional Research Service. It has also successfully tested intercontinental ballistic missiles assessed as capable of striking anywhere in the United States.
The announcement arrives as Trump presses Iran to surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium as a condition of any peace deal.
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