- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a state uranium enrichment facility.
- Rare photos from the event offer a look inside the production base for weapons-grade nuclear material.
- The photos are a blunt signal on North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
Rare photos show North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visiting one of the state's uranium enrichment sites.
Kim's tour of this facility offers a rare glimpse inside this part of North Korea's nuclear program. It also sends a clear message to the country's adversaries and those who hope to restrain its nuclear ambitions, the US being at the top of that list.
The photos of Kim's visit were shared by North Korean state media on Friday. It's unclear when they were taken or where exactly the enrichment site is located.
In the photos, Kim, along with Jong Sung Mu, first deputy department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, and other officials can be seen touring the facility where weapons-grade uranium is made.
The capabilities present in the sterile facility showcase the largely isolated nation's nuclear weapons material production.
The purpose of Kim's visit to the facility, per KCNA's reporting, was to acquaint "himself with the production of nuclear warheads and the current production of nuclear materials and set forth important tasks concerning a long-term plan for increasing the production of weapons-grade nuclear materials."
During the event, Kim praised the work on producing weapons-grade nuclear materials needed for nuclear warheads. He also explained the state's "new important strategy for building up the nuclear force," KCNA said, citing the anti-North Korean "nuclear threat moves of the US," as well as "the security environment facing" North Korea.
North Korea routinely cites the US as the motivation for its illicit missile and nuclear weapons programs.
These talking points are similar to previous statements made by Kim. Just Monday, in a speech celebrating the 76th anniversary of the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Korea, Kim emphasized the need to exponentially expand the country's nuclear arsenal. Two years ago, North Korea established its nuclear status in a new law that also permitted first use in certain situations.
North Korea has long made its nuclear program a top priority and, despite restrictive sanctions, has shown continued progress in the continued development of nuclear weapons.
The US and its allies and partners have long worked to denuclearize North Korea, reaching a watermark moment with the Trump administration's Hanoi summit in 2019. Talks have been unsuccessful. Kim's publicized visit to a uranium enrichment facility, including the rare photos, shows his continued focus on the nuclear program despite those efforts.
Though North Korea's pursuit of missile technology and nuclear weapons have made it a pariah state, largely isolated in global affairs, it is not totally alone.
It has long had relations with China. And last fall, Kim's high-profile meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin about an arms deal signaled the two nations would work together — with Kim offering ammunition and other weapons to support Russia's war in Ukraine. It's unclear exactly what Russia is offering in return, but North Korea could receive food, fuel, and possibly even advanced military technologies.
The two countries reaffirmed their cooperation earlier this year with a mutual defense pact, which indicated either nation would come to the support of the other should they be attacked.
Earlier this year, a top Korea watcher said that North Korea has likely found itself "sitting pretty" amid its new partnership with Russia and connections with China.