North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has suggested he will promote the construction of nuclear power stations to resolve his country's power shortage.

Tuesday's edition of North Korea's ruling party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported that Kim referred to nuclear power generation in his speech at the Supreme People's Assembly on Monday.

Kim said that if the country operates nuclear and other power-generating plants in the future, it can solve its power shortage problem.

North Korea is building an experimental light-water nuclear reactor at its nuclear facility complex in Nyongbyon in the country's northwest.

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said in a statement last month that the discharge of warm water from the light-water reactor's cooling system has been confirmed, which indicates the reactor has reached criticality.

South Korea's Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said late last month that North Korea's experimental light-water reactor is expected to be in full-fledged operation this summer.

North Korea claims the light-water reactor is for providing electricity.

But relevant countries are worried that North Korea would become more capable of producing plutonium, which could be used for nuclear weapons. They are also concerned that the North may use the reactor to develop a nuclear-powered submarine.