North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated this Thursday that the country has "more than doubled" its nuclear production capacity for military purposes in the last five years, while reiterating the order to "further expand" this potential and to "continue increasing nuclear arsenals."
During a visit to a nuclear material production plant, the North Korean leader emphasized that "the production capacity of nuclear materials suitable for weapons has more than doubled during the last five years of strengthening the nuclear force," according to the official KCNA agency.
Kim also recalled that the latest five-year plan to strengthen the atomic program includes the instruction to "further expand the production capacity of nuclear materials and continue increasing arsenals" with the aim of "progressively improving deterrence capability."
In his speech, he argued that the "prolonged confrontation with the fiercest enemies, the existing threats that worsen every moment, potential threats, and long-term unpredictable crises"—situations he attributed to "the peculiarities of the Korean revolution"—demonstrate "the urgency and responsibility (...) to strengthen, both in quality and quantity, in a sustained and accelerated manner, nuclear deterrence."
Kim Jong Un remarked that "this nuclear potential we now possess is inconceivable without the valuable struggle we have waged over the past five years," and concluded his speech by paying "tribute" to the country's nuclear scientists for their role in the development of the weapons program.