North Korea's nuclear policy unlikely to waver at historic meeting

You might call it the spiritual birthplace of North Korea's nuclear industry.

It may be hard at first to see that when you first walk onto the grounds of a former munitions factory-turned-museum in Pyongyang.

The factory was ordered built by the country's founder, Kim Il-sung about 70 years ago, and after several attempts over 20 days, we were told, workers manufactured the first North Korean rifle ever made.

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​The only hint of what that decision would later bring is a large mural near the entrance that shows a smiling Kim testing the factory's first rifle.

His encouragement of the project built an armament industry that is now credited in every tour at that museum with being the spark that led this country to acquiring nuclear technology.

North Korea conducted its first test in 2006

The tour, given to visiting foreign journalists ahead of a landmark political gathering in Pyongyang, was a reminder: any suggestion the ruling party is about to change its policy on pursuit of a nuclear weapon is likely folly.

North Korea's nuclear tests this year may have angered much of the world, but here, state media hailed them as a "powerful deterrent" and "the greatest gifts" to the historic gathering of the ruling Korea Workers Party.

Later, state television quoted Kim Jong-un speaking at the congress, heralding that "unprecedented results have been accomplished" with the "great success" of the nuclear test, as well as a of a February satellite launch.

A fifth test?

This country has carried out four nuclear tests so far, the last two under current leader Kim Jong-un, who has been as persistent as his father in pursuing nuclear technology, despite criticism from abroad.

Pyongyang claimed to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb in January, one that it says is powerful enough to wipe out the whole of the U.S.

"We did not become a nuclear state with a hydrogen bomb in one day," says tour guide Lui Hwa.

Under the guidance of the country's leaders and their support for the munitions factory, "We could today become a nuclear state and a powerful country," she continued.

The January test led the UN to impose its toughest sanctions yet.

Yet speculation has been rife that not only would Pyongyang refuse to back down on nuclear testing, but that it might conduct a fifth test while the congress was ongoing, as a way of projecting strength.

There's been as much speculation that Kim Jong-un would enshrine the right to nuclear capability in the party's charter.

But after years of putting military and nuclear matters first, the congress may also be the place for Kim to formalize his apparent desire to put the improvement of the domestic economy on an equal footing. The notion of "byongjin" which would allow both priorities to be advanced at the same time, would stand in contrast to his father's "songun," which put the military first.

Bull's-eye

Rifles feature prominently at the munitions museum. The interior also prominently features the founding father, who apparently visited the site 25 times. The tour and the detail is extensive but is off limits to cameras.

The tour plays up the early Kim's "self-reliance" mantra as being the root of the country's armament industry, which Pyongyang has long maintained was only defensive to counter threats from the U.S. and South Korea.

Kim Jong-un recently suggested that if necessary, his country may one day have to resort to using nuclear weapons pre-emptively. Every indication is that the testing will continue.

The target his grandfather apparently used when testing that first rifle shows three bullet holes, all in the bull's-eye.