The International Atomic Energy Agency has expressed serious concern after confirming that North Korea has constructed a new building at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex that can accommodate up to 28 centrifuge cascades, the machinery used to enrich uranium to weapons‑grade levels.
Satellite imagery and open‑source material, including photographs released by state media, also show the regime has expanded operations at an enrichment site in Kangson, near Pyongyang. The IAEA identified the Yongbyon building as a second enrichment facility by comparing images taken during its construction with media photographs of a visit by Kim Jong‑un in early June.
A 2025 analysis by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies estimates that the 28 cascades, comprising 4,592 centrifuges, could produce roughly 85 kg of weapons‑grade highly enriched uranium per year—enough for three or four additional warheads.
In a statement, IAEA Director‑General Rafael Grossi said the continued operation and expansion of the Kangson and Yongbyon facilities is a cause for serious concern and a clear violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
South Korean officials have cited estimates of 80 to 120 warheads on the peninsula, far higher than earlier figures. North Korea’s rapid progress in missile and nuclear programmes, including multiple long‑range missile tests since 2017, underscores the urgency of addressing these developments in the international arena.
