Overview

• Kim Jong Un inspected key nuclear facilities and urged an indefinite expansion of North Korea's nuclear weapons program, state media reported.
• Kim described 2025 as a pivotal year for strengthening the country's nuclear forces under its five-year military development plan initiated in 2021.
• The North Korean leader emphasized the need for producing more weapons-grade nuclear material and bolstering the nation's 'nuclear shield' against perceived hostilities.
• President Donald Trump, in his second term, has expressed a willingness to resume dialogue with Kim, highlighting their past meetings and his view of Kim as a 'smart' and pragmatic leader.
• Analysts suggest Kim's nuclear rhetoric aims to increase leverage in potential negotiations with the U.S., as Washington reiterates its goal of complete denuclearization.