North Korea to significantly expand nuclear material production, leader says

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered a substantial increase in the nation's nuclear capabilities, demanding an "exponential" rise in the production of weapons-grade nuclear material. According to state media KCNA, Kim visited a newly operational facility for nuclear material production and declared that capacity had already more than doubled in the past five years.

Kim announced an "ambitious future plan aimed at strengthening our state's nuclear forces at an exponential pace." These claims could not be independently verified. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported in April that North Korea had "very significantly" expanded its capacity to build nuclear weapons.

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exponentially

The IAEA estimates that North Korea possesses a double-digit number of nuclear warheads. The country has been under extensive international sanctions for two decades due to its nuclear and missile programs. Pyongyang consistently asserts it will never relinquish its nuclear weapons, citing them as a necessary deterrent against perceived military threats from the United States and its allies, such as South Korea.

North Korea has denied IAEA inspectors access to its nuclear facilities since 2009. The nation conducted its first nuclear test in 2006. The latest statements signal a continued escalation of its nuclear ambitions, despite international isolation and sanctions.

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an ambitious future plan aimed at strengthening our state's nuclear forces at an exponential pace