North Korea this month lifted the veil on one of its most closely guarded nuclear secrets, releasing the first public photos of centrifuges it uses to make bomb-grade uranium. The revelatory images of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un touring a vast centrifuge hall, along with the recent startup of a reactor that may be producing plutonium and tritium for atomic weapons, heighten concerns over the rogue nation\u2019s growing arsenal. They also help bring its nuclear program into sharper focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kim\u2019s nuclear whistle stop, which also included images of a smaller centrifuge hall, follows a speech in which he reiterated a 2023 vow to \u201cexponentially\u201d increase his nuclear stockpile. He has suggested the effort will include large numbers of tactical nuclear weapons, lower yield devices designed for short- or medium-range missiles. \u201cNorth Korea is deadly serious about deploying large numbers of tactical nuclear weapons,\u201d says Jeffrey Lewis, a North Korea expert at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Tactical nukes would pose an especially grave threat to neighboring South Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p><\/p> Photos open rare window into North Korea\u2019s nuclear weapons program | Science | AAAS https:\/\/t.co\/qnBMibdPIh<\/a><\/p>— Amb Antonio Garza (@aogarza) September 24, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>