Pyongyang says it’s close to enriching uranium, putting it one step closer to being able to produce nuclear weapons. North Korea has reportedly informed the U.N. that it’s going ahead with its nuclear projects.
But the North Koreans enrich uranium on an experimental level within a research program, points out Aleksandr Vorontsov from the Institute for Oriental Studies, and it’s a long way to the industrial level. Therefore, he says, the step is to some extent a tactic to put pressure on international community.
“It’s a political game, pressure from both sides,” said Vorontsov. “According to Pyongyang, the international community, led by the United States, is trying to pressure North Korea. So they try to find their own arguments in this game, and pressure the international community.”