The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says North Korea has built a new two-story uranium enrichment plant at its main nuclear complex in Yongbyon.
It is reported that the new building can accommodate up to twenty-eight cascades of centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium.
Nuclear director Rafael Grossi called the continued production of weapons-grade materials a cause for “serious concern.”
The IAEA also said Pyongyang had begun operating an expanded extension to another enrichment facility. These findings, based on satellite imagery, indicate a steady expansion of North Korea’s nuclear infrastructure.
In a statement released earlier this week, Grossi said a new building had appeared in Yongbyon. The agency, expelled by Pyongyang in 2009, has no inspectors in North Korea but relies on satellite imagery to make assessments.
According to a report published on August 28, the IAEA first reported the building’s existence in June of this year. The report said leader Kim Jong Un on June 3 reportedly visited a “newly opened nuclear material production plant,” which he identified as the Yongbyon enrichment complex.
Kim then praised the country’s “significantly expanded production capacity,” adding that it would “open up the possibility of implementing larger plans,” according to the IAEA report.
The IAEA also said there were indications that operations began in January this year at another encirclement site in Kangsong, near the capital Pyongyang. The extension was first built in Cang Son in 2024, the report said.
The report was based on satellite imagery, information from open sources and photographs from state media.
“The continuation and further development of the DPRK’s nuclear program 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 stated that North Korea appears to be increasing its nuclear bomb production capabilities, stating that they are monitoring Yongbyon’s apparent expansion.