Nuclear deterrence remains North Korea’s “invariable stand,” Kim Jong Un told nuclear scientists, underscoring intent to expand production of nuclear materials through 2025 despite international calls for denuclearization, state media reported Saturday.

Meeting with scientists and technicians at the DPRK Nuclear Weapons Institute on Friday, Kim expressed “great satisfaction” with recent progress, with the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) article referring back to his related remarks in the Supreme People’s Assembly earlier this week. 

“The powerful deterrent, namely, the logic of peace-keeping and security by force with nuclear forces as its backbone is the invariable stand of the