North Korea opened a new uranium enrichment plant for its nuclear-tipped missiles on Monday, as leader Kim Jong-un announced plans to strengthen the country's nuclear forces "at an exponential pace," the Associated Press reported, BTA reported.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff identified the site as a uranium enrichment plant and said it was working closely with the United States to monitor North Korea's nuclear activities. South Korea's military did not immediately provide further details.
North Korea's official KCNA news agency said the facility uses "more advanced technology," but did not provide further details. It was unclear where the plant was located or when it began operating. State media photos showed what appeared to be a large hall housing centrifuges needed to enrich uranium for weapons.
The unveiling of the new plant is in line with Kim's repeated promises to expand his nuclear program to deal with what he calls escalating military threats from the United States.
The KCNA reported that Kim visited the nuclear site yesterday to familiarize himself with its operation and long-term production plan.
The agency quoted Kim as saying that the urgency of strengthening the country's nuclear deterrent, both in terms of quality and quantity, had grown due to confrontations with "the most fierce enemies," an apparent reference to the United States and South Korea. Kim cited other unspecified threats and crises as reasons for the need to strengthen North Korea's nuclear capabilities, the statement said.
According to the KCNA, Kim claimed that North Korea's production capacity for weapons-grade nuclear materials had doubled compared to five years ago. It was not possible to independently verify the claim, the AP noted.
After a meeting at the facility, Kim said he and other senior officials "confirmed the priorities for implementing the ambitious future plan designed to strengthen our country's nuclear forces at an exponential rate," the KCNA said.
North Korea has not conducted a nuclear test since 2017, but in recent years has expanded its arsenal of missiles that can carry nuclear warheads and can fly far enough to reach both U.S. allies in Asia and the American continent.