North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for a major expansion of the country's nuclear forces, including an "exponential" increase in the production of weapons-grade nuclear material, state media reported on Thursday.
Speaking during a visit to a newly commissioned nuclear-material production facility, Kim said North Korea's capacity to produce weapons-grade nuclear material had more than doubled over the past five years and should continue to increase rapidly, according to the state news agency KCNA.
Kim's claims could not be independently verified.
North Korea has been subject to UN sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme for roughly two decades. Pyongyang says its nuclear arsenal is necessary to defend the country against external threats.
The programme is viewed by the United States, South Korea and Japan as a direct threat to regional and international security.
