North Korea Builds New Uranium Enrichment Facility at Yongbyon, IAEA Says

North Korea has built a new North Korea uranium enrichment facility at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The agency said the new building could hold as many as 28 centrifuge cascades used for uranium enrichment.

The IAEA also documented activity at another enrichment facility near Pyongyang. It stated that an additional section of the Kangson facility appeared to have begun operations in January, raising concerns about the continuous expansion of North Korea’s nuclear program.

North Korea uranium enrichment facility at Yongbyon

The new facility in Yongbyon is a two-story structure that is believed to be the site’s second uranium enrichment facility. The IAEA came to this conclusion after comparing satellite images to those issued by North Korean state media.

Those photos show North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visiting the location in June. According to the IAEA, gas centrifuge cascades were installed on both floors of the new structure.

According to the agency, the structure can accommodate up to 28 of the centrifuge cascades seen in the photos. Centrifuges are used to raise the concentration of uranium, which can be used to make nuclear bombs.

The IAEA stated that its judgment was based on satellite images and other publicly available information. Since 2009, the organization has not had inspectors inside North Korea, making it harder to oversee the country’s nuclear activity.

Activity expands at Kangson enrichment site

The IAEA also discovered evidence that North Korea has extended activities at its Kangson uranium enrichment complex, which is near the capital, Pyongyang.

An annex was built at the facility in 2024, and the agency said that operations began in January. The construction is part of what the IAEA describes as North Korea’s continuous building of nuclear infrastructure in many places.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi expressed great worry over the continued operating of enrichment facilities in Yongbyon and Kangson. He also cited rumors of North Korea’s increased manufacture of weapons-grade nuclear material.

According to the IAEA, North Korea’s nuclear enrichment efforts and related expansion contravene United Nations Security Council resolutions.

North Korea rejects IAEA authority

North Korea has frequently challenged the IAEA’s authority over its nuclear program. In September of last year, the country’s mission to the United Nations in Vienna stated that its status as a nuclear weapons state was irrevocable.

North Korea further claimed that the IAEA lacked the legal authority to engage in the internal affairs of a nuclear weapons state that did not sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The most recent IAEA findings demonstrate that North Korea continues to develop and extend its uranium enrichment capabilities despite international sanctions and the absence of IAEA inspectors within the country.