North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered all of North Korea's resources to be used to support the country's nuclear program to protect national sovereignty and security, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
Kim met with officials and scientists from North Korea's nuclear weapons development institutes on Friday, then said that further developing his country's nuclear defense posture is a “top priority”.
“Comrade Kim Jong-un said that we must constantly improve and renew the nuclear “shield and sword”, that can reliably guarantee national sovereignty, security and interests, as well as the right to development”, KCTA reported.
North Korea has been developing a nuclear weapons program for decades, including a secret uranium enrichment operation that allows the production of 15 to 20 nuclear weapons per year, South Korean President Lee Jae-myeon said on Thursday.
According to the South Korean head of state, Pyongyang has enough nuclear weapons for “regime survival”, and is almost in the final stages of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.