Kim of North Korea Demands Nuclear Forces Be Strengthened by 2025, KCNA Reports

According to a KCNA report, Kim Jong Un has urged on North Korea to increase its nuclear capabilities by 2025.

According to a report by official media KCNA on Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has asked for the country’s nuclear forces to be expanded this year while visiting a nuclear weapons institute and a nuclear material manufacturing site.

Kim’s visit to these important sites coincides with Pyongyang’s increased military show, which includes the restart of missile testing and the return of US President Donald Trump to office. According to South Korea, these tests could be intended to get Trump’s attention.

Kim commended the accomplishments of the scientists and workers during his visit, praising their “amazing production results” and “remarkable successes” during the previous year. He received a briefing on their intentions for 2025 and beyond, as well as the procedures for creating nuclear materials of weapons grade.

Kim called 2025 a crucial year for strengthening the nation’s nuclear weapons and emphasized the necessity for further advancements in the manufacturing of nuclear materials.

“We should complete the tasks during the critical time in the line of implementing the line of bolstering up the nuclear forces, and this year is a crucial year because it is an important watershed,” he said.

He continued by saying that North Korea must improve its nuclear capabilities because it faces “the world’s most unstable security situation” as a result of continuous confrontations with “the most vicious hostile countries.”

For many years, Pyongyang has maintained that it needs its nuclear weapons to protect itself from perceived threats from Washington and its allies, with whom it fought in the Korean War in 1950–1953. North Korea may possess enough fissile material, according to analysts, to construct up to 90 nuclear bombs.

The North’s recent military displays, according to Seoul’s National Intelligence Service, were partially meant to “show off its US deterrent assets and draw Trump’s attention,” particularly after promising “the toughest anti-US counteraction” at a crucial year-end strategy conference.

Trump said last week that he will “reach out to him again.” Trump and Kim had historic summits during Trump’s first term. Following his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments, Trump called North Korea a “nuclear power” on January 20, the day of his inauguration, casting doubt on Washington’s decision to give weapons reduction negotiations precedence over disarmament negotiations.