It may have to move in front of Cuba. This is not exactly good news and it seems to have mainly been picked up by Reuters, NPR and the like.

I would think Trump has a bit of a message / policy consistency issue that could arise from this. Now granted NK is isolated, has Daddy Ping on top of them and already possess nuclear weapons and delivery systems of varying reach & reliability.

But it seems like Lil Kim is itching for a new smackdown.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/04/asia/north-korea-nuclear-plant-kim-intl-hnk-ml

Quote:

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Kim Jong Un inspected a new plant that makes weapons-grade nuclear material on Wednesday and said Pyongyang plans to "beef up our state's nuclear forces at an exponential rate," according to a report from state-run media.

The North Korean leader said that his country has more than doubled its capacity to produce weapons-grade nuclear material in the past five years and that the new plant will help strengthen its nuclear war deterrent, according to the report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim instituted the push for more nuclear weapons under a five-year plan that was implemented after denuclearization talks with the United States, including three meetings with US President Donald Trump during his first term, ended in failure.

News of the new North Korean nuclear plant comes as Washington is trying to strike a deal to end the months-old US-Israeli war with Iran and get Tehran to give up nuclear materials that it could develop into nuclear weapons.

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You don't move NK in front of Cuba. They have nuclear weapons. Entirely different calculus.

Yesterday said:

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Zero Chance. They already have Nukes and China won't allow it. Which is why we can never let Iran have Nukes.

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Agree. But if China becomes unstable, which is a distinct possibility, the math in that regard changes with impacts the "calculus".

Xi is going today (I believe) to visit NK and this site particularly.

Could be just attention seeking as another has mentioned.

Regardless, I expect this story and Xi's visit to get some traction depending on how things develop in Iran.

YouBet said:

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That ship has sailed. You are in MAD mode with NK now.

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They do NOT possess ability to strike US mainland, likely not even US interests in the Pacific. Meanwhile, we absolutely possess the ability to turn them and the mountain dear leaders descended from into dust and memories.

It may be time to simply end the deistic regime there and let chaos sort itself out amongst the oppressed people.

DrEvazanPhD said:

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If ever there was a building that could be described as "an evil lair," this one is it.

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It looka mucha bwetta now!

They do have the ability to destroy Seoul and Tokyo and hit American bases in SK and Japan.

flown-the-coop said:

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YouBet said:

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That ship has sailed. You are in MAD mode with NK now.

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They do NOT possess ability to strike US mainland, likely not even US interests in the Pacific. Meanwhile, we absolutely possess the ability to turn them and the mountain dear leaders descended from into dust and memories.

It may be time to simply end the deistic regime there and let chaos sort itself out amongst the oppressed people.

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So you're comfortable with sacrificing millions of South Korean lives?

What economically strategic reason does the US have to invade/bomb North Korea?

I don't think there is one therefore the US will not invade/bomb North Korea.

EMY92 said:

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They do have the ability to destroy Seoul and Tokyo and hit American bases in SK and Japan.

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They can damn near destroy Seoul with artillery

If they haven't given it all to Russia

flown-the-coop said:

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YouBet said:

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That ship has sailed. You are in MAD mode with NK now.

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They do NOT possess ability to strike US mainland, likely not even US interests in the Pacific. Meanwhile, we absolutely possess the ability to turn them and the mountain dear leaders descended from into dust and memories.

It may be time to simply end the deistic regime there and let chaos sort itself out amongst the oppressed people.

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They have the reach to get here. Question is how reliable the rockets are.

Don't the norks already have nuclear weapons?

EMY92 said:

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They do have the ability to destroy Seoul and Tokyo and hit American bases in SK and Japan.

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Captain Pablo said:

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EMY92 said:

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They do have the ability to destroy Seoul and Tokyo and hit American bases in SK and Japan.

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They can damn near destroy Seoul with artillery

If they haven't given it all to Russia

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Their artillery targeting Seoul likely has chemical warheads.

flown-the-coop said:

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Yesterday said:

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Zero Chance. They already have Nukes and China won't allow it. Which is why we can never let Iran have Nukes.

---

Agree. But if China becomes unstable, which is a distinct possibility, the math in that regard changes with impacts the "calculus".

Xi is going today (I believe) to visit NK and this site particularly.

Could be just attention seeking as another has mentioned.

Regardless, I expect this story and Xi's visit to get some traction depending on how things develop in Iran.

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"But if China becomes unstable" - what is your definition of unstable? I understand the economic slowdown and real estate pressures but that doesn't translate into someone who would not be able to execute a showdown in their own backyard.

I consider those to me American interests, admittedly near and dear ones.

We have absolutely zero business being there.

It's an ancient civilization (dating back to 2nd or 3rd century BC) on peninsula stuck between China and Japan (two other ancient civilizations).

Why are you so concerned about how they go about their lives?

Who?mikejones! said:

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Don't the norks already have nuclear weapons?

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Yep, and more than enough to kill millions, especially if they manage to slip an ICBM or two past our defenses.

And despite what the OP says, NK does have the ability to hit the United States. The only question is how reliable are their ICBMs.

Rocket Man must be experiencing some discord or potential famine. They do this all the time when they need attention (money).

fulshearAg96 said:

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flown-the-coop said:

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Yesterday said:

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Zero Chance. They already have Nukes and China won't allow it. Which is why we can never let Iran have Nukes.

---

Agree. But if China becomes unstable, which is a distinct possibility, the math in that regard changes with impacts the "calculus".

Xi is going today (I believe) to visit NK and this site particularly.

Could be just attention seeking as another has mentioned.

Regardless, I expect this story and Xi's visit to get some traction depending on how things develop in Iran.

---

"But if China becomes unstable" - what is your definition of unstable? I understand the economic slowdown and real estate pressures but that doesn't translate into someone who would not be able to execute a showdown in their own backyard.

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Xi is getting on in years and his power and grip on it has declined. There have been a couple of "coup" attempts that were dealt with by executions and disappearances.

The economic environment further weakens his stance and that is projected to get worse, substantially worse. Getting told what to do by Trump concerning Iran and VZ doesn't help.

In China, the power struggles seem to originate out of the PLA so there would be distraction.

To be clear, I do not think such is imminent in China but in January Xi was doing more of his anticorruption "purges".

Dungeon Crawler Carl said:

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We have absolutely zero business being there.

It's an ancient civilization (dating back to 2nd or 3rd century BC) on peninsula stuck between China and Japan (two other ancient civilizations).

Why are you so concerned about how they go about their lives?

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They have nuclear weapons and missiles? They are run by a dictator who thinks he is descended from the heavens, but just let them be.

They also support other bad actors who have directly attacked us.

And the People's Republic of Korea is NOT an ancient civilization no more than I can claim to have built the ark and written the Bible.

Rapier108 said:

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Who?mikejones! said:

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Don't the norks already have nuclear weapons?

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Yep, and more than enough to kill millions, especially if they manage to slip an ICBM or two past our defenses.

And despite what the OP says, NK does have the ability to hit the United States. The only question is how reliable are their ICBMs.

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They have NOT shown any reliable capability to do such.

Have they shown the ability to put their nuke on the tip of a rocket? It's not as simple as strapping their test nuke to a rocket engine.

Queso1 said:

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Rocket Man must be experiencing some discord or potential famine. They do this all the time when they need attention (money).

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Xi Jinping visits their nuclear weapons facilities all the time? You have some links?

No idea. I'm saying that NK always saber-rattles when something bad is happening at home. And the west always gives him relief.

flown-the-coop said:

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Dungeon Crawler Carl said:

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We have absolutely zero business being there.

It's an ancient civilization (dating back to 2nd or 3rd century BC) on peninsula stuck between China and Japan (two other ancient civilizations).

Why are you so concerned about how they go about their lives?

---

They have nuclear weapons and missiles? They are run by a dictator who thinks he is descended from the heavens, but just let them be.

They also support other bad actors who have directly attacked us.

And the People's Republic of Korea is NOT an ancient civilization no more than I can claim to have built the ark and written the Bible.

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The Korean people have been there for 1000s of years. They've built their culture without YOUR input for generations.

Why do you claim to know what's best for them?

According to the WSJ, Xi's visit to NK is to reestablish China's dominance over NK because NK has been cozying up to Russia a bit too much.

Dungeon Crawler Carl said:

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flown-the-coop said:

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Dungeon Crawler Carl said:

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We have absolutely zero business being there.

It's an ancient civilization (dating back to 2nd or 3rd century BC) on peninsula stuck between China and Japan (two other ancient civilizations).

Why are you so concerned about how they go about their lives?

---

They have nuclear weapons and missiles? They are run by a dictator who thinks he is descended from the heavens, but just let them be.

They also support other bad actors who have directly attacked us.

And the People's Republic of Korea is NOT an ancient civilization no more than I can claim to have built the ark and written the Bible.

---

The Korean people have been there for 1000s of years. They've built their culture without YOUR input for generations.

Why do you claim to know what's best for them?

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I am generally opposed to a population subjected to an oppressive regime not of their own choosing that has wreaked havoc on their lives for the past 80 years.

Before that they had been under colonial rule by Japan. Before that China and Mongols had their intermittent terms.

Heck, even the concept of a unified "Korean" people only goes back a thousand years.

Maybe learn a little history?

Queso1 said:

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No idea. I'm saying that NK always saber-rattles when something bad is happening at home. And the west always gives him relief.

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Relief?

flown-the-coop said:

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DrEvazanPhD said:

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If ever there was a building that could be described as "an evil lair," this one is it.

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It looka mucha bwetta now!

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Is that Cartman at the top?

The answer to NK nukes is to declare that North Korea is a Chinese vassal state and that a nuclear attack from NK will be treated as an attack by China.

Quote:

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I am generally opposed to a population subjected to an oppressive regime not of their own choosing that has wreaked havoc on their lives for the past 80 years.

Before that they had been under colonial rule by Japan. Before that China and Mongols had their intermittent terms.

Heck, even the concept of a unified "Korean" people only goes back a thousand years.

Maybe learn a little history?

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So it's white man hero complex? Got it.

Who else do you want to impose YOUR governmental solutions on and how much do we need to pay in taxes to get what you want?

Do I need to listen to everything you say too?

Between 1995 and 2008, the US taxpayers have given North Korea $1.3 Billion. Relief.