IAEA: North Korea built a Yongbyon facility capable of weapons‑grade uranium enrichment
IAEA says satellite and open-source analysis shows a second enrichment building in Yongbyon and expanded activity at Kangson.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has raised serious concerns after finding evidence that North Korea has built a new facility at its main nuclear site in Yongbyon capable of enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels.
According to the IAEA’s analysis of satellite imagery and publicly available materials, the recently completed building at Yongbyon appears large enough to house up to 28 centrifuge cascades — the machinery most commonly used to increase uranium enrichment.
IAEA findings and past access
The agency identified the structure as a second enrichment plant on the Yongbyon complex after comparing satellite photos taken during construction with media images from Kim Jong Un’s visit in June. The IAEA noted the discovery as part of a wider assessment of North Korea’s nuclear infrastructure.
Inspectors from the IAEA were expelled from North Korea in 2009, limiting the agency’s ability to conduct on-site verification; the current assessment therefore relies on remote sensing and open-source material.
The report also says North Korean authorities have expanded enrichment-related activity at the Kangson site near Pyongyang, indicating a possible parallel effort to increase fissile material production.
During his June visit to Yongbyon, Kim Jong Un claimed that "the capacity of North Korea to produce nuclear material for weapons has more than doubled in the past five years." The IAEA’s recent observations appear to support concerns about an accelerating programme.
Photo: КЦНА)
