Kim Jong Un poses with new nuclear warheads

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (39) has called on his country to expand the production of “weapon-grade nuclear material”. These would be needed for an “exponential” increase in nuclear arsenal, state news agency KCNA quoted Tuesday as saying.

During a visit to North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Institute, North Korea’s leaders warned that the country must prepare to use the weapons “anytime, anywhere”.

Photos in the state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun showed Kim surrounded by uniformed officers inspecting a series of alleged Hwasan-31 tactical warheads. Hwasan means volcano in Korean. The compact green warheads can be attached to various types of missiles, as shown on diagrams in the background of the photo.

Nuclear weapons tests more likely

Last year, North Korea conducted a record number of weapons tests and declared itself an “irreversible nuclear power”. Ruler Kim called for a significant increase in weapons production, including tactical nuclear weapons.

North Korean state media released a series of reports on Tuesday that analysts say may point to an imminent seventh nuclear weapons test.

According to experts, the images show that North Korea is making progress in manufacturing smaller warheads that can be used on ICBMs as well as other delivery systems such as submarines.

Cheong Seong Chang of the Center for North Korean Studies at South Korea’s Sejong Institute told AFP news agency that “the likelihood of North Korea conducting a seventh nuclear weapons test with these tactical warheads as the next step has increased.”

tensions grow

During his visit to the institute, Kim learned about technical details, including the use of new tactical nuclear weapons, it said. The visit came at a time of rising tensions on the Korean peninsula.

After an unprecedented series of missile tests last year, North Korea again tested missiles with nuclear weapons this year, despite UN bans. The US and South Korea resume full-scale joint military exercises.

For years it was uncertain whether the isolated country already had the technology to shrink a warhead for ballistic missiles of various ranges. About three years ago, a report by a UN expert panel stated that several countries now believe that North Korea has small nuclear devices that also fit ballistic missile warheads. (bab/SDA/AFP)

Source: Blick