Anthony Kuhn

State media showed leader Kim Jong-un inspecting a newly commissioned nuclear material plant with rows of silver centrifuges.

Kim was quoted as saying that his country has doubled nuclear fuel production in the last five years.

South Korea's military says the new plant appears to be producing enriched uranium.

North Korea did not disclose its location.

It's believed to now have four plants producing weapons-grade uranium and plutonium.

Kim added that North Korea must accelerate nuclear weapons production due to a long-term confrontation with what he called the most ferocious enemies, implying the U.S.

and South Korea.

Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul.

About 74% of some 65,000 workers voted in favor of the deal.

It gives workers in the company's most profitable division, which makes memory chips, a 12% cut of annual profits.

If they meet this year's profit targets, workers could get an annual bonus of around $400,000 in stocks and cash.

Less profitable divisions making products such as TVs and smartphones will get far less.

A union representing some of those workers sued but failed to stop the deal.

The AI and semiconductor boom has also created a tax windfall for South Korea's government.

This has sparked a debate about how to distribute the boom's dividends across South Korean society.

Anthony Kuhn in PR News, Seoul.

Management and labor reached a tentative agreement about an hour before the 18-day strike was planned to start.

The strike is now suspended while workers vote to either accept or reject the proposed deal.

The unions were asking for performance bonuses equal to 15% of the company's operating profits.

The agreement is for them to get 10.5% of business performance earnings partly in stock with no cap over at least 10 years.