SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea on Thursday unveiled a new facility to produce nuclear bomb fuels, with leader Kim Jong Un announcing plans to bolster the country’s nuclear forces “at an exponential rate.”

Some experts still question whether North Korea has functioning nuclear missiles that can reach the U.S. mainland. But the nuclear plant’s disclosure implies that Kim is eager to cement his country’s status as a nuclear power and has no intentions of placing his bomb program on a negotiating table.

kAmp7E6C G:D:E:?8 E96 D:E6 @? (65?6D52J[ z:> D2:5 96 2?5 @E96C E@A @77:4:2=D “4@?7:C>65 E96 @C56C @7 AC:@C:EJ 7@C :>A=6>6?E:?8 E96 2>3:E:@FD 7FEFC6 A=2? 56D:8?65 E@ 3667 FA @FC DE2E6’D ?F4=62C 7@C46D 2E 2? 6IA@?6?E:2= C2E6[” 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 @77:4:2= z@C62? r6?EC2= }6HD p86?4J]k^Am

k9bmkDEC@?8m$:E6 😀 =:<6=J 2 FC2?:F> 6?C:49>6?E A=2?Ek^DEC@?8mk^9bm

kAmzr}p D2:5 E96 724:=:EJ FD65 “>@C6 D@A9:DE:42E65 E649?@=@8J” 3FE 5:5?’E AC@G:56 7FCE96C 56E2:=D =:<6 :ED =@42E:@?] $@FE9 z@C62’D y@:?E r9:67D @7 $E277 2DD6DD65 E96 D:E6 2D 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?@CE9\<@C62\<:>\;@?8\F?\FC2?:F>\46?EC:7F86D\?F4=62C\:C2?\eed5`h25g7`hd7f6h5hh5ac4543_aa_2QmFC2?:F> 6?C:49>6?E A=2?Ek^2m 2?5 D2:5 :E H2D 4=@D6=J 4@@C5:?2E:?8 H:E9 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D E@ >@?:E@C }@CE9 z@C62? ?F4=62C 24E:G:E:6D]k^Am

kAmzr}p A9@E@D D9@H65 z:> H2=<:?8 E9C@F89 ?2CC@H 2:D=6D =:?65 H:E9 56?D6 C@HD @7 D:=G6C EF36D 2?5 A:A6D[ 😕 H92E 2AA62C65 E@ 36 2 46?EC:7F86 92==] p?@E96C :>286 D9@H65 9:> DA62<:?8 H:E9 D6?:@C @77:4:2=D 😕 2 >66E:?8 C@@>[ H96C6 2 3=FCC65 8C2A9:4 56A:4E:?8 2 4@?6\D92A65 @3;64E H2D DAC625 24C@DD 2 E23=6] xE H2D?’E :>>65:2E6=J 4=62C H96E96C E96 8C2A9:4 D9@H65 2 H2C9625 56D:8?]k^Am

kAmxEVD E96 E9:C5 E:>6 E92E }@CE9 z@C62 92D 5:D4=@D65 2 FC2?:F> 6?C:49>6?E D:E6] x? a_`_[ }@CE9 z@C62 D9@H65 @?6 2E :ED >2:? *@?83J@? ?F4=62C 4@>A=6I E@ G:D:E:?8 p>6C:42? D49@=2CD[ 2?5 😕 a_ac[ }@CE9 z@C62 C6=62D65 A9@E@D @7 2?@E96C 4@G6CE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?@CE9\<@C62\?F4=62C\FC2?:F>\<:>\76654de_e4cdd2hc7466ef72d_6`abe5QmFC2?:F>\6?C:49>6?E A=2?Ek^2m[ H9:49 6IA6CED 36=:6G6 H2D 2E :ED z2?8D@? 4@>A=6I]k^Am

kAmtIA6CED D2J E96 ?6H=J 5:D4=@D65 D:E6 😀 =:<6=J 2? 255:E:@?2= FC2?:F> 6?C:49>6?E 724:=:EJ E92E }@CE9 z@C62 😀 DFDA64E65 E@ 92G6 366? 3F:=5:?8 2E *@?83J@?]k^Am

kAm“q2D65 @? 2 AC6=:>:?2CJ 2?2=JD:D[ :E 2AA62CD E92E E9:D 724:=:EJ 😀 =:<6=J E96 ?6H=J 25565 *@?83J@? 6?C:49>6?E 724:=:EJ] xE 2AA62CD E@ 92G6 EH@ =6G6=D 2?5 C6AC6D6?ED 2 DF3DE2?E:2= 6IA2?D:@? @7 6?C:49>6?E 42A23:=:EJ[” D2:5 p?<:E !2?52[ 2? 6IA6CE H:E9 E96 r2C?68:6 t?5@H>6?E 7@C x?E6C?2E:@?2= !6246]k^Am

kAm“}@CE9 z@C62’D @?8@:?8 ?F4=62C 6IA2?D:@? 5@6D ?@E 92G6 2 ?62C\E6C> 6?5 😕 D:89E[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm{2DE $6AE6>36C[ $@FE9 z@C62? &?:7:42E:@? |:?:DE6C r9F?8 s@?8\J@F?8 D2:5 E92E }@CE9 z@C62 H2D @A6C2E:?8 2 E@E2= @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?@CE9\<@C62\?F4=62C\FC2?:F>\46?EC:7F86D\<:>\4a35_ggh`cegd57fb457h2cfghafcd_bQm7@FC FC2?:F> 6?C:49>6?E 724:=:E:6Dk^2m :?4=F5:?8 E96 *@?83J@? 4@>A=6I[ 2?5 E92E E96J H6C6 CF??:?8 6G6CJ52J]k^Am

k9bmkDEC@?8mz:> H2?ED ?F4=62C H62A@?D DE2E6k^DEC@?8mk^9bm

kAmsFC:?8 9:D A=2?E G:D:E[ z:> D2:5 E96 FC86?4J 7@C 3@=DE6C:?8 FA E96 4@F?ECJ’D ?F4=62C H2C 56E6CC6?E[ 3@E9 😕 BF2=:EJ 2?5 BF2?E:EJ[ 92D 8C@H? 3642FD6 @7 4@?7C@?E2E:@?D H:E9 “E96 >@DE 76C@4:@FD 6?6>:6D[” 2? 2AA2C6?E C676C6?46 E@ E96 &]$] 2?5 $@FE9 z@C62]k^Am

kAmz:> D2:5 6I6C4:D:?8 “E96 A@D:E:@? @7 2 ?F4=62C H62A@?D DE2E6” 😀 9:D 4@F?ECJVD “:?G2C:23=6” DE2?5] w6 D2:5 }@CE9 z@C62’D ?F4=62C >2E6C:2=D AC@5F4E:@? 42A24:EJ 92D >@C6 E92? 5@F3=65 4@>A2C65 H:E9 7:G6 J62CD 28@[ 2 4=2:> E92E 42??@E 36 G6C:7:65 :?56A6?56?E=J]k^Am

kAmtIA6CED D2J z:> H2?ED 2? :?E6C?2E:@?2= C64@8?:E:@? 2D 2 ?F4=62C DE2E6 D@ E92E 96 4@F=5 56>2?5 E96 =:7E:?8 @7 &]}] 64@?@>:4 D2?4E:@?D] %96J D2J z:> H@F=5 F=E:>2E6=J AFD9 7@C 2C>D C65F4E:@?D E2=kAm!C6D:56?E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ECF>A\?@CE9\<@C62\<:>\2A64\2c6`2dgg63`fgead_3624d2d6c6gfe64Qms@?2=5 %CF>Ak^2m 92D C6A62E65=J 6IAC6DD65 9:D 56D:C6 E@ C6DF>6 5:A=@>24J H:E9 z:>[ 3FE E96 }@CE9 z@C62? =6256C C6DA@?565 E96 p>6C:42?D >FDE 7:CDE 5C@A :ED 56>2?5 7@C }@CE9 z@C62 E@ 56?F4=62C:K6 2D 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?@CE9\<@C62\ECF>A\<:>\8@@5\>6>@C:6D\?F4=62C\36h7`7c`6deh`c42_fhbc37f4d_3gabfQmAC64@?5:E:@? 7@C E2=

k9bmkDEC@?8m$@>6 BF6DE:@? }@CE9 z@C62VD ?F4=62C AC@8C2>k^DEC@?8mk^9bm

kAm$:?46 9:D 7:CDE C@F?5 @7 ?F4=62C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^5@?2=5\ECF>A\2A\E@A\?6HD\?@CE9\<@C62\G:6E?2>\?@CE9\2>6C:42\`2agaf_egbd5caf`gc674ahf__7hc`a`Qm5:A=@>24J 4@==2AD65k^2m 😕 a_`h[ z:> 92D A6C7@C>65 2 AC@G@42E:G6 CF? @7 H62A@?D E6DED 2?5 G@H65 C6A62E65=J E@ “6IA@?6?E:2==J” 6IA2?5 E96 4@F?ECJ’D ?F4=62C 2CD6?2=]k^Am

kAm%9:D =65 E@ >2?J 6IA6CED 36=:6G:?8 }@CE9 z@C62 ?@H =:<6=J 92D ?F4=62C >:DD:=6D 42A23=6 @7 DEC:<:?8 E96 &]$] >2:?=2?5] qFE D@>6 DE:== ?@E6 }@CE9 z@C62 92D?VE AC@G65 :E >2DE6C65 =2DE\C6>2:?:?8 E649?@=@8:42= 9FC5=6D E@ @3E2:? DF49 >:DD:=6D[ :?4=F5:?8 6?DFC:?8 :ED H2C9625D DFCG:G6 E96 4@?5:E:@?D @7 2E>@DA96C:4 C66?ECJ] %96J D2J }@CE9 z@C62 2=D@ ?665 E@ A6C764E E649?@=@8:6D E@ A=246 >F=E:A=6 ?F4=62C H2C9625D @? 2 D:?8=6 >:DD:=6 E@ 56762E &]$] >:DD:=6 D9:6=5D]k^Am

kAmp D6?:@C $@FE9 z@C62? @77:4:2= E@=5 =2H>2<6CD 😕 a_`g E92E }@CE9 z@C62 H2D 6DE:>2E65 E@ 92G6 >2?F724EFC65 36EH66? a_ 2?5 e_ ?F4=62C H62A@?D[ 3FE D@>6 6IA6CED ?@H AFE E96 D:K6 @7 E96 }@CE9’D 2CD6?2= 2E >@C6 E92? `__ H2C9625D]k^Am

kAmx? a_ab[ }@CE9 z@C62 F?G6:=65 2 EJA6 @7 32EE=67:6=5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?@CE9\<@C62\?F4=62C\H2C9625\<:>\;@?8\F?\f5b46g_ed3g5b_4c5f_hbg5e__hffa`eQm?F4=62C H2C9625D]k^2m $@>6 2?2=JDED DA64F=2E65 E96 H2C9625’D F?G6:=:?8 >:89E 36 2 AC6=F56 E@ 2 ?F4=62C E6DE] qFE }@CE9 z@C62 92D?VE 42CC:65 @FE 2 E6DE[ H9:49 H@F=5 36 :ED D6G6?E9 56E@?2E:@? @G6C2== 2?5 E96 7:CDE D:?46 $6AE6>36C a_`f]k^Am







Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.