North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected a facility that produces nuclear material and called for bolstering the country’s nuclear capability, state media reported Wednesday, as the North looks to increase pressure on the United States following the inauguration of U.

Kim Jong Un has inspected a facility that produces nuclear material and called for bolstering the country’s nuclear capability.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for bolstering nuclear forces this year during a visit to the country's nuclear material production base and nuclear weapons institute, state media KCNA said on Wednesday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for the bolstering of the country's nuclear forces this year during a tour of a nuclear-

South Korea 's Yonhap News Agency said North Korea might be using a vertical cold-launch system to fire the missiles. The system, which is commonly associated with submarine- and ship-based weapons, ejects a missile from its container before the missile ignites midair.

Kim Jong Un, who Trump lauded as a "smart guy," has become Russian President Vladimir Putin’s key ally in a war against Ukraine, providing ballistic missiles, artillery, and 12,000 troops.