North Korea: IAEA Raises Alarm Over Expansion of Uranium Enrichment Facilities
North Korea is expanding its nuclear infrastructure, with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reporting the construction of a new uranium-enrichment facility at the Yongbyon nuclear complex.
According to the IAEA, the newly identified two-storey building could accommodate up to 28 centrifuge cascades. Satellite imagery and North Korean state-media photographs were used to assess the facility. The agency also reported expanded activity at the Kangson enrichment site near Pyongyang.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has expressed serious concern about the continued operation and expansion of North Korea’s enrichment facilities. The agency says the developments are inconsistent with United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The report comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to emphasize the strengthening of the country’s military capabilities. North Korea recently commissioned another advanced destroyer and has been expanding its naval forces as part of a broader military modernization programme.
North Korea has rejected the IAEA’s authority and maintains that its nuclear status is irreversible. The country has also deepened military cooperation with Russia, including the deployment of North Korean troops to support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, according to South Korean assessments.
The latest developments are likely to increase international concern over North Korea’s nuclear programme and could further complicate efforts to restart denuclearisation negotiations.
