SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made a rare public appearance at a uranium enrichment facility, emphasizing the need for new centrifuges to bolster the production of weapons-grade material for nuclear arms, according to state media KCNA.
Kim’s visit to the Nuclear Weapons Institute and its associated production base for nuclear materials was highlighted by images providing an unusual look inside North Korea’s nuclear program, which is restricted under multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. The photographs depicted Kim inspecting rows of metal centrifuges, though the exact timing of the visit and the facility’s location were not specified.
During the visit, Kim urged the enhancement of materials for tactical nuclear weapons, asserting that North Korea’s nuclear capabilities are essential for addressing perceived threats from the United States and its allies.
He framed these weapons as crucial for both “self-defense” and potential preemptive strikes.
Kim’s statements reflected concerns over what he described as “anti-DPRK nuclear threats” from “U.S. imperialists and their vassal forces.”
Analysts suggest North Korea operates several uranium enrichment sites, with recent satellite imagery indicating construction activity at the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center, including its enrichment plant.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi noted recent observations of reactor and centrifuge enrichment activities at Yongbyon.
Kim stressed the importance of increasing centrifuge numbers to “exponentially” boost nuclear weapons production and expanding the use of advanced centrifuge types to enhance weapon-grade material output.
Experts like Ankit Panda from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace observe that North Korea’s advancements in centrifuge technology and reliance on uranium for nuclear weapons indicate progress in its nuclear fuel cycle capabilities.
This approach allows North Korea to potentially increase its stockpile of highly enriched uranium more easily than plutonium.
In addition to the enrichment facility visit, Kim also oversaw a test launch of a new 600mm multiple launch rocket system and inspected a special operations training base, according to separate KCNA reports.
The North Korean foreign ministry criticized a recent defense ministerial meeting involving the U.S.-led United Nations Command, labeling it as a “war organization” following Germany’s recent inclusion in the command.
