North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged an expansion of the country's nuclear capabilities during a visit to a nuclear material production facility and a nuclear weapons institute, Reuters reported, citing North Korea’s official news agency KCNA . His visit, underscoring Pyongyang’s advancing nuclear arsenal, comes amid heightened military displays as North Korea seeks to attract US President Donald Trump's attention following his return to office. According to South Korean officials, recent missile tests have been partially aimed at drawing Trump's focus. During his briefing, Kim commended the scientists and workers at the site for their "remarkable successes" and "amazing production results" over the past year, KCNA stated. He was updated on the production of weapons-grade nuclear materials and the country’s nuclear development plans for 2025 and beyond, according to the report. Kim emphasized the need to increase the production of weapons-grade nuclear materials and strengthen North Korea’s nuclear forces, calling 2025 a pivotal moment in the nation’s nuclear strategy. "This year is a crucial year as it is an important watershed in which we should carry out the tasks in the important period in the course of implementing the line of bolstering up the nuclear forces," Kim said, according to KCNA . North Korea upped its rhetoric in 2024 and staged dozens of launches of missiles. In early November, North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the East Sea, just days after it announced it tested an intercontinental ballistic missile , prompting condemnation from the South, the United States and Japan. In mid-September, North Korea fired a salvo of short-range ballistic missiles. Trump, who held historic summits with Kim during his first term and has often touted his relationship with the North Korean leader, recently stated that he would "reach out to him again." During Trump’s presidency from 2017 to 2021, he met Kim three times—in Singapore, Hanoi, and at the Korean border. Despite the historic meetings, their diplomacy yielded no tangible results. Related articles: Russia-North Korea defense pact goes into effect Trump mulling direct talks with Kim Jong Un 'Korean peninsula facing an unprecedented risk of nuclear war' A 'bewitching' threesome for Israel: Iran, Russia and North Korea The Biden administration reached out to North Korea shortly after taking office, but the country did not respond to those overtures. In Biden’s first policy speech to Congress , he said nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran posed threats that would be addressed through “diplomacy and stern deterrence”.