7 years ago, the DPRK joined the “nuclear club,” and since then, it has been demonized as a threat to the world which seeks to start a nuclear war.

A steady course towards the development of nuclear capabilities

On September 9, speaking at a meeting in Pyongyang to mark the 76th anniversary of the founding of the DPRK, Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un noted that “the DPRK will steadily strengthen its nuclear forces so that it is capable of fully countering any threatening actions by its nuclear rivals. It will redouble its measures and efforts to make all the armed forces of the state including the nuclear force fully ready for combat. We are now implementing the policy of building nuclear Armed Forces without the slightest concession, and the nuclear combat Armed Forces of the Republic are operating under an ironclad command and control system as one of the key elements of its deterrence strategy and a response to possible ‘decapitation strikes’.”

On September 13, the KCNA reported that Kim Jong-un “inspected the Nuclear Weapons Institute and the production base of weapon-grade nuclear materials [and] acquainted himself with the production of nuclear warheads and current nuclear materials…”

The DPRK leader familiarized himself with the operation of the production lines, expressed satisfaction with the process, and stressed the need “to further augment the number of centrifuges and to exponentially increase the nuclear weapons for self-defense… not [to be] content with the successes and, at the same time, to further raise the individual separation ability of the centrifuge and push forward the introduction of a new-type centrifuge which has already reached its completion stage as planned.” He also reiterated his........

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