North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for the scaling up of weapons-grade nuclear material production to grow the country’s arsenal, saying it should be ready to use the weapons at any time, state news agency KCNA said on Tuesday (Mar 28).
Kim made the remarks as he inspected the country’s nuclear weapons programme, including new tactical nuclear weapons and technology for mounting warheads on ballistic missiles, and examined nuclear counterattack operation plans, KCNA said.
He was also briefed on an IT-based integrated nuclear weapon management system called Haekbangashoe, which means “nuclear trigger”, whose accuracy, reliability and security were verified during recent drills simulating a nuclear counterattack, it added.
Kim ordered the production of weapons-grade materials in a “far-sighted way” to boost its nuclear arsenal “exponentially” and produce powerful weapons, KCNA said.
He said that the enemy of the country’s nuclear forces is not a specific state or group but “war and nuclear disaster themselves”, and the policy of expanding North Korea’s arsenal is solely aimed at defending the country, and regional peace and stability.
Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/north-korea-kim-nuclear-materials-weapons-grade-scaling-3378416