N Korea has built two-storey uranium enrichment facility, says watchdog
The International Atomic Energy Agency's says the facility is cause for "serious concern".
N Korea has built two-storey uranium enrichment facility, says watchdog
North Korea declared itself a nuclear power in 2022 and vowed never to relinquish its weapons
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says North Korea has constructed a new two-storey uranium enrichment facility at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex.
The new structure is reported to be able to accommodate as many as twenty-eight centrifuge cascades, which are used to enrich uranium.
Rafael Grossi, the nuclear watchdog’s director, described the ongoing production of weapons-grade material as a matter of "serious concern".
The IAEA also said Pyongyang has begun running an expanded annex at another enrichment site. Based on satellite imagery, these findings suggest a continued widening of North Korea’s nuclear infrastructure.
In a statement released earlier this week, Grossi said there was a new building in Yongbyon. The agency, which was expelled by Pyongyang in 2009, has no inspectors in North Korea and depends on satellite imagery for its assessments.
According to a report published on 28 August, the IAEA first noted the building’s existence in June this year. The report said leader Kim Jong Un reportedly visited a "newly inagurated nuclear materials production factory" on 3 June, which it identified as the Yongbyon enrichment facility.
Kim then praised the country’s "greatly expanded production capacity", saying this would "offer the possibility of carrying out larger plans", according to the IAEA report.
The IAEA also said there were signs that operations had begun at another encirhment facility in Kangson, near the capital Pyongyang, in January this year. It said an annex had first been built in Kangson in 2024.
The report was based on satellite imagery, open-source information, and photographs in state media.
"The continuation and further development of the DPRK's nuclear programme are clear violations of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and are deeply regrettable," Grossi said in a statement released earlier this week.
In April this year, the IAEA said North Korea appeared to be increasing its capacity to make nuclear bombs, noting that it was monitoring the apparent expansion of Yongbyon.
Kim was pictured earlier this year at a "newly commissioned" nuclear enrichment site
In August, South Korea’s president, Lee Jae Myung, suggested talks with North Korea on formally ending the war between the two countries, saying this could provide a forum to discuss "effective ways to halt the advancement of the North's nuclear capabilities".
North Korea has not yet responded to the proposal.
North Korea declared itself a nuclear power in 2022 and vowed never to relinquish its weapons, which are estimated to number in the dozens.
Lee previously said Pyongyang was producing 15 to 20 more warheads annually, and told the BBC last year that he would support a deal between US President Donald Trump and Kim to freeze production.