Fears attack

North Korea wants to increase the number of nuclear weapons

North Korea wants to increase the number of its nuclear weapons. As reported by the state news agency KCNA, ruler Kim Jong Un declared that the stockpile should be increased "exponentially". Kim also accused "hostile" forces of wanting to attack North Korea with nuclear weapons.

Kim left open exactly which countries he was referring to. He made his remarks on Monday during a speech to mark the founding day of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

North Korea has dozens of nuclear warheads
The Stockholm Peace Institute Sipri estimates that North Korea has around 50 nuclear warheads. However, this is only a rough estimate and the exact number is not known. The country is subject to far-reaching UN sanctions and import bans due to its nuclear program. The last known nuclear test took place in 2017.

Increased cooperation with the Kremlin
Tensions on the Korean peninsula have recently increased significantly. North Korea has significantly increased its missile tests over the past two years and stepped up its rhetoric against the USA and South Korea. There has been increased military cooperation with Russia.