Kim Myongsung’s Inside North Korea

· Kim Jong-un Orders Full-Scale Nuclear Material Production, Unveils Uranium Facility for the First Time

· North Korea Conducts 20th 'Trash Balloon' Provocation During Chuseok Holiday

· Shoigu Visits Pyongyang, Choe Son-hui Heads to Russia: North Korea and Russia Strengthen Strategic Partnership

Kim Myong-sung

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently visited a highly enriched uranium (HEU) facility, ordering the strengthening of weapons-grade nuclear material production. This rare public disclosure of a key nuclear site, typically kept secret, is seen as a strategic move ahead of the U.S. presidential election to gain leverage in future negotiations with Washington.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on the 13th that Kim Jong-un visited a nuclear weapons research institute and a uranium production facility, outlining key tasks to boost nuclear material production.

The KCNA reported on the 13th that Kim visited a uranium enrichment facility. / Korean Central News Agency

Kim was quoted as saying that just being at the uranium enrichment site "gives him strength," expressing his satisfaction after hearing reports of ongoing nuclear material production. 

He also ordered an increase in the number of centrifuges and an enhancement of their individual capacities. Additionally, he emphasized the planned introduction of new centrifuges, which are already in the final stages, to further solidify the foundation for producing weapons-grade nuclear materials.

Kim Jong-un watches soldiers perform a demonstration drill at a special operations training base. / News1

While North Korea had shown a uranium enrichment facility to U.S. nuclear scientist Dr. Siegfried S. Hecker in 2010, this is the first time the regime has openly revealed such a facility to the global audience. 

Although the exact location of the site wasn’t disclosed, it’s speculated that it might be in Kangson, near Pyongyang, which U.S. intelligence agencies have long suspected to be a secret nuclear facility.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a report last month stating that construction work on an annex at the southwestern part of the Kangson complex, which began in February, was completed by early April. The report also mentioned that in May, further construction work was underway on a neighboring building.

It’s believed that North Korea is increasingly relying on HEU, which can be produced covertly and in larger quantities than plutonium, which is generated in smaller amounts at the Yongbyon reactor. The timing of this facility’s disclosure, just 50 days before the U.S. election, seems to be aimed directly at the U.S.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) of South Korea noted that North Korea has made significant progress in the miniaturization of nuclear warheads, following six rounds of nuclear testing. In addition to Kim’s visit to the uranium enrichment site, KCNA also reported that he inspected a special forces training base and supervised a test of the 600mm super-large multiple launch rocket system (MLRS). Kim’s visit to the special forces base and the rocket test are seen as a direct message to South Korea, signaling a potential threat.

North Korea Conducts 20th 'Trash Balloon' Provocation During Chuseok Holiday 

North Korea launched its 20th round of "trash balloon" provocations during the Chuseok holiday.

On the afternoon of the 15th, the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that North Korea had once again sent balloons filled with debris into South Korean territory.

The JCS warned that due to shifts in wind direction, these trash-filled balloons might drift towards northern Gyeonggi Province and the Seoul metropolitan area. They urged the public to avoid any fallen balloons and report them immediately to the military or police.

According to the JCS, North Korea had launched about 50 trash balloons from the night of the 14th to the early hours of the 15th, with around 10 balloons landing in northern Gyeonggi and Seoul. The balloons contained household waste like paper, plastic, and bottles.

On the morning of the 6th, a trash balloon was found on the rooftop of a building in Donghwa-ri, Munmak-eup,

Wonju, Gangwon Province. / Yonhap News Agency

Since late May, North Korea has been sending these balloons southward, claiming it to be a response to anti-regime leaflets being sent from the South. The launches on the night of the 14th and the afternoon of the 15th marked the 19th and 20th incidents of this nature.

On the 15th, one of these balloons landed on the rooftop of a building in Naebalsan-dong, Gangseo District, Seoul, causing a fire. The Gangseo Fire Department responded quickly, dispatching 15 fire trucks and 56 firefighters to extinguish the blaze. There had been a similar incident a week earlier, on the 8th, in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, where a trash balloon landed on a warehouse rooftop and caused a fire that resulted in significant property damage.

Shoigu Visits Pyongyang, Choe Son-hui Heads to Russia: North Korea and Russia Strengthen Strategic Partnership

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s Security Council Secretary, during his visit to Pyongyang, confirming plans to deepen their strategic partnership. Meanwhile, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui attended the 4th Eurasian Women’s Forum in Russia. Experts attribute the growing North Korea-Russia ties to the Ukraine war, marking a new phase of cooperation.

A North Korean media outlet released a photo showing Kim driving a Mercedes with Sergei Shoigu in the passenger seat.

/ Korean Central News Agency

During their discussions, the two leaders agreed to strengthen their dialogue and cooperation to protect mutual interests, while also exchanging views on regional and global issues.

The newspaper noted that the two sides "reached a satisfactory consensus on the issues discussed." It also reported that Kim met with Sergei Shoigu again in the evening for further talks and gave him a warm send-off, drawing attention for the special treatment Shoigu received. A published photo showed Kim embracing Shoigu at the airport, with another showing Kim driving Shoigu in a Mercedes.

There is speculation that Kim's visit to Russia may have been discussed. In June, President Vladimir Putin expressed his desire to meet Kim in Moscow for their next meeting after their encounter in Pyongyang.

This visit marks Shoigu’s first trip to North Korea in over a year, his last visit being in July for the 70th-anniversary celebrations of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement. 

Following that, he also met with Kim in Vladivostok in September to discuss military cooperation.

Meanwhile, Choe Son-hui attended the Eurasian Women’s Forum in Saint Petersburg, continuing diplomatic exchanges between North Korea and Russia.