North Korean leader Kim inspects nuclear facility and calls for bolstering arsenal
Seoul, South Korea AP —
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected a facility that produces nuclear material and called for bolstering the country’s nuclear capability, state media reported Wednesday, as it ramps up pressure on the United States following the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
Kim’s visit suggests a continued emphasis on an expansion of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, though Trump has said he’s willing to talk to Kim again to revive diplomacy. Many analysts view North Korean weapons moves as part of a strategy to win diplomatic talks with Washington that could result in aid and political concessions.
The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim visited the nuclear-material production base and the Nuclear Weapons Institute.
It didn’t say where those facilities are located, but North Korean photos of Kim’s visit indicated that he likely visited a uranium-enrichment facility thathe went to last September. That visit was North Korea’s first disclosure of a uranium-enrichment facility since it showed one to visiting American scholars in 2010.
During the latest visit, Kim praised scientists and others for “producing weapons-grade nuclear materials and in strengthening the nuclear shield of the country.”
On Sunday, North Korea said it tested a cruise missile system, its third known weapons display this year, and vowed “the toughest” response to what it called the escalation of US-South Korean military drills.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. then-President Donald Trump shake hands over the military demarcation line between North and South Korea on June 30, 2019.Related article Trump claims Kim Jong Un ‘misses’ him. But he faces a very different North Korean leader this time