Kim Jong Un Calls For Expansion Of North Korea's Nuclear Arsenal

State media reported that Kim made the remarks during a visit to a newly expanded nuclear materials production facility, according to Reuters.

Kim said the country's capacity to produce nuclear materials used in atomic weapons has more than doubled over the past five years and should be increased further to meet North Korea's strategic objectives.

He described the expansion of the nuclear programme as necessary to counter what he called increasing security threats and confront hostile forces.

The North Korean leader also chaired a special meeting on strengthening the country's nuclear forces, where he emphasized both the quantitative and qualitative development of Pyongyang's nuclear capabilities.

International estimates suggest that North Korea possesses around 50 nuclear warheads, although the government has never officially disclosed the size of its arsenal.

The announcement comes amid continuing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Relations between North Korea and South Korea remain strained, with both sides exchanging sharp rhetoric and increasing military preparedness in recent months.

South Korea, backed by its security alliance with the United States, has expanded joint military exercises and missile defence cooperation, moves that Pyongyang regularly condemns as preparations for war.

North Korea has accelerated weapons development in recent years, conducting a series of ballistic missile launches and advancing its nuclear programme despite international sanctions imposed by the United Nations.

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