SEOUL, South Korea (AP) 鈥 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected a facility that produces nuclear material and called for bolstering the country鈥檚 nuclear capability, state media reported Wednesday, as the North looks to increase pressure on the United States following the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Kim鈥檚 visit suggests a continued emphasis on an expansion of North Korea鈥檚 nuclear arsenal, though Trump has said he鈥檚 willing to talk to Kim again to revive diplomacy. Many analysts view North Korean weapons moves as part of a strategy to win diplomatic talks with Washington that could result in aid and political concessions.
The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim visited the nuclear-material production base and the Nuclear Weapons Institute. It didn鈥檛 say where those facilities are located, but North Korean photos of Kim鈥檚 visit indicated that he likely visited that he went to last September. That visit was North Korea鈥檚 first disclosure of a uranium-enrichment facility since it showed one to visiting American scholars in 2010.
During the latest visit, Kim praised scientists and others for "producing weapons-grade nuclear materials and in strengthening the nuclear shield of the country.鈥
On Sunday, North Korea said , its third known weapons display this year, and vowed 鈥渢he toughest鈥 response to what it called the escalation of U.S.-South Korean military drills.
North Korea views U.S. military training with South Korea as invasion rehearsals, though Washington and Seoul have repeatedly said their drills are defensive in nature. In recent years, the United States and South Korea have in response to North Korea鈥檚 advancing nuclear program.
The start of Trump鈥檚 second term raises prospects for the revival of diplomacy between the United States and North Korea, as Trump met Kim three times during his first term. in 2018-19 fell apart due to wrangling over U.S.-led economic sanctions on North Korea.
During a Fox News interview broadcast Thursday, Trump called Kim 鈥渁 smart guy鈥 and 鈥渘ot a religious zealot.鈥 Asked whether he will reach out to Kim again, Trump replied, 鈥淚 will, yeah.鈥
Many experts say Kim likely thinks he has greater bargaining power than in his earlier round of diplomacy with Trump because of his country鈥檚 enlarged and deepening military
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Klug reported from Tokyo
