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North Korean state television has broadcast an image of former leader Kim Jong-il with what appears to be one of the country's first atomic bombs.
The photograph on a wall, which was revealed on air briefly during a 30-minute Korea Central TV's broadcast of arms and munitions industry conference, showsthe late leader inspecting a device surrounded by officials.
According to the BBC, the photo has never been seen in the West. If genuine, it would have been taken sometime between 2006-2009 when the secretive regime carried out nuclear tests.
Kim Jong-il was leader of the secretive nation during its atomic tests in 2006 and 2009. Photo / Korea Central TV
The image joins several others on the wall, all designed to highlight the success of North Korea's weapons programme.
The 8th Conference of Munitions Industry opened in Pyongyang on Monday and was attended by current leader Kim Jong-un, according to state media KCNA.
Details of the conference were announced by the "pink lady" Ri Chun-hee, the country's iconic newsreader who reveals the country's major news events such as missile launches.
KCNA said the conference reviewed the "achievements and experience gained in the work to implement the party's policy on the munitions industry".
The conference also aimed to give "full play to the invincible might of socialist Korea".
The BBC's Alistair Coleman points out there have been no publicly available images of the late Kim looking at a nuclear weapon.
He also said it could be a mock-up given there are no records of a scientist being able to miniaturise a nuclear device at that time.
However if the image is real, it wouldn't be the first time North Korea has revealed insights into its weapons programmes.
Last August, KCNA revealed Kim standing in front of ballistic missile plans during a defence facility visit.
'NOT A SLIP-UP'
California's James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies research associate Shea Cotton said he didn't believe this image of Kim Jong-il was accidentally released as part of some sort of slip-up.
Cotton said it appears the late Kim was standing over some sort of weapon but it was difficult to tell from the picture.
"Kim Jong-il carried out the regime's first two tests so they definitely had them during his time and they probably were about that size," he said.
"I don't believe this was accidentally released as a part of some slip-up. But neither do I think this was a purposeful act. I think in many ways, the regime doesn't care if we know they have these weapons."
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects an intercontinental ballistic missile test in North Korea. Photo / AP
Cotton said North Korea has released far more detailed images before showing Kim Jong-un examining nuclear devices so releasing a grainy image of an old one doesn't seem that improbable.
"If I had to guess though, the only reason the regime might be hesitant to release old images like that would be because they show Kim Jong-il and not Kim Jong-un looking at them," he said.
"A big part of Kim Jong-un's domestic legitimacy is built around him being the leader who tamed the atom. That said, since the picture is displayed rather prominently in the building he obviously doesn't seem to care that much."
Cotton said he wouldn't be surprised if more images such as this appeared over the next few months.
"With the high yield on their most recent test they might feel as though they've achieved their goal when it comes to nuclear weapons and we might see some sort of nostalgic looks back as they marvel and congratulate themselves on how far they've come," he said.
Nuclear disarmament campaigner John Hallam told news.com.au he didn't think this footage had a propaganda purpose or was released on purpose.
"The bomb shown is consistent with everything else we know about the DPRK's early bomb program, so in a sense there are no surprises," he said.
A Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Photo / AP
"The later incarnation of that device, miniaturised, is the famous 'disco ball' photo, with Kim looking at what is likely the standard miniaturised version of the DPRK's fission weapons."
Hallam said there also was no reason to believe the photo was not genuine.
"These could be mock-ups, but there is really no specific reason to think that they are mock-ups," he said.
"Each one of them looks exactly as one would expect them to look."
'BOLSTER NUCLEAR FORCE'
Meanwhile, Kim vowed to develop more nuclear weapons, while he decorated scientists and officials who contributed to the development of Pyongyang's most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-15.
Kim said scientists and workers would continue manufacturing "more weapons and equipment" to "bolster up the nuclear force in quality and quantity", according to KCNA.
Speaking at the close of a two-day munitions conference to celebrate the Hwasong-15, Kim vowed his country will develop and manufacture more diverse weapons.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, celebrates what was said to be the test launch of an intermediate range Hwasong-12 missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Photo / AP
KCNA said the leader also awarded medals to "those in the field of defence science who most faithfully and perfectly carried out the Party's plan for building a strategic nuclear force, successfully test-fired ICBM Hwasong-15 and thus demonstrated the dignity and might of our powerful state all over the world once again".
The recipients of the awards were not named however they were given several medals, including the Order of Kim Il-sung and Order of Kim Jong-il, the country's highest orders.
