IAEA Reports New Uranium Enrichment Facilities in North Korea
World
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said North Korea is expanding its nuclear programme and has built new facilities for uranium enrichment. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi described the developments as a serious cause for concern and a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
According to the IAEA, satellite imagery and analysis of open sources, including photographs and videos from North Korean state media, indicate that Pyongyang is actively expanding its nuclear programme.
A new two-storey uranium enrichment building has been constructed at the country’s main nuclear complex in Yongbyon. The agency estimates that it could accommodate up to 28 cascades of centrifuges.
At the uranium enrichment plant in Kangson, a large extension has also begun operating. Construction of the facility had been underway since 2024.
North Korea, however, does not recognize the IAEA’s authority over its nuclear programme. The agency has been unable to conduct inspections at North Korean nuclear facilities since 2009.
North Korean authorities maintain that the country’s status as a nuclear-armed state will remain unchanged. Pyongyang also insists that the IAEA has no legal right to interfere in the internal affairs of a country that has not signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
A new two-storey uranium enrichment building has been constructed at the country’s main nuclear complex in Yongbyon. The agency estimates that it could accommodate up to 28 cascades of centrifuges.
At the uranium enrichment plant in Kangson, a large extension has also begun operating. Construction of the facility had been underway since 2024.
North Korea, however, does not recognize the IAEA’s authority over its nuclear programme. The agency has been unable to conduct inspections at North Korean nuclear facilities since 2009.
North Korean authorities maintain that the country’s status as a nuclear-armed state will remain unchanged. Pyongyang also insists that the IAEA has no legal right to interfere in the internal affairs of a country that has not signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
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