At the heart of the nuclear site: a sensitive photo of Kim Jong Un was revealed

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last night (Wednesday) ordered an “exponential” (exponential) expansion of the country’s nuclear weapons arsenal during a visit to a new nuclear weapons production plant, the state news agency reported. KCNA.

Kim said the production capacity of weapons-grade nuclear materials has more than doubled over the past five years. He instructed the responsible parties to continue to increase output to meet the long-term strategic goals set by Pyongyang.

Photographs released by state media showed Kim walking between rows of cylindrical equipment inside the facility, in what appeared to be a centrifuge facility for enriching uranium. The Reuters news agency quoted experts who estimated that it might be the country’s central nuclear complex in Yongbyon (Yongbyon).

According to Kim, the expansion of the nuclear program is required in view of what he called the aggravation of security threats and the continuation of the long-standing conflict with “the most brutal enemies”. He reiterated North Korea’s commitment to increasing its nuclear deterrent.

It was also reported that yesterday a central consultation meeting was held that dealt with strengthening the country’s nuclear forces. It is claimed that during the discussion, Kim presented guidelines for accelerating the expansion of the nuclear arsenal both in terms of quality and quantity.

It is estimated that Kim’s visit to the plant was intended to strengthen Pyongyang’s bargaining position for possible future diplomatic contacts with the US. In addition, the visit was also linked to the possibility of a future visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pyongyang. Experts noted that the developments in South Korea, including the promotion of plans for a nuclear-powered submarine and discussions with Washington regarding uranium enrichment rights, may be used by the neighbor from the north as another justification for accelerating its nuclear weapons program.

Along with the announcement of the expansion of the nuclear program, Western intelligence assessments indicate that North Korea’s nuclear weapons arsenal is approaching a dramatic turning point in terms of the threat it poses to the United States in general.

According to data recently published in Bloomberg, Pyongyang currently possesses about 50 nuclear warheads, but the rate of production of fissile material in the country may allow it to reach a much larger stockpile within a few years. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said that North Korea is currently capable of producing enough material for up to 20 new nuclear weapons a year.

If this rate continues, North Korea may within a decade possess an arsenal larger than that of Pakistan and Britain, at least in terms of the number of warheads.

At the same time, the country continues to develop prototype intercontinental ballistic missiles Hwasong-15, Hwasong-17, Hwasong-18 and-Hwasong-19. According to various estimates, combining these missiles with the number of warheads that already exist today may allow North Korea to pose a significant challenge to the missile defense systems of the United States, which were built over decades at a cost of tens of billions of dollars.

In addition to the ability to strike the United States, Pyongyang also possesses a large arsenal of short-range missiles capable of hitting Washington’s allies in Asia and American bases in the region, including Guam, as well as Japan and the Philippines.

Experts point out that today’s North Korea is significantly different from what it was just a few years ago. Just for comparison, during Trump’s first term in the White House, North Korea managed to produce fissile material in an amount sufficient for about six bombs a year. Along with increasing its weapons stockpile, it continues to improve launch systems, develop solid fuel-powered missiles that are easier to hide and launch, and gradually expand its nuclear capabilities.

Although there are still question marks about the full operational capability of some of its weapons systems, the rapid pace of expansion of its nuclear arsenal gives Pyongyang a stronger geopolitical position than ever before and poses an increasing challenge to the United States in the area of ​​nuclear security and deterrence.