North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected a nuclear material production base and a nuclear weapons institute, describing 2025 as a critical year for his country, state media said on Wednesday.
During the visit, Kim inspected the major core process of producing weapons-grade nuclear materials and was briefed on the current state of nuclear material production, the Korean Central News Agency reported.
"This year is a crucial year as it is the year in which important period tasks are concluded and transferred to the next task in the course of carrying out the line of strengthening the nuclear force pursued by our Party and government," Kim was quoted by the news agency as saying.
However, he did not explain what task would be concluded this year.
Last month, South Korean media reported that Pyongyang could conduct a new nuclear test soon.
Meanwhile, the White House said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump will pursue the "complete denuclearization of North Korea."
Trump said earlier last week that he would reach out to Kim, as during his first term he held a historic meeting with the North Korean leader.
During his visit to the nuclear facility, Kim also vowed to strengthen his country's self-defense nuclear war deterrence.
"The external environment we are facing is still grim, and the challenges of the hostile forces seeking to gain the upper hand in power are becoming more severe," he said, and added: "The absolute power capable of thoroughly suppressing the enemies and actively controlling the situation is not any declaration or slogan but the stockpiling and exponential increase of actually available physical force."
