North Korea recently released images of its secretive uranium enrichment facility, which produces weapon-grade uranium, raising global concerns about its nuclear program. Official photos from North Korea’s state news agency showed Kim Jong-un inspecting the Yongbyon nuclear complex, the heart of the nation’s nuclear activities.
Yongbyon, located 100 km from Pyongyang, has been central to North Korea’s nuclear developments. While previous UN satellite data suggested nuclear activity in Yongbyon’s second reactor, North Korea had downplayed any claims of unusual activity.
The newly released images reveal the scale of operations, with experts estimating that the facility holds around 1,000 centrifuges capable of producing 20-25 kg of highly enriched uranium each year—sufficient for a nuclear bomb. While the exact amount of stored uranium or plutonium remains unclear, the photos provide rare insight into North Korea’s growing nuclear infrastructure.
North Korea has persisted in expanding its nuclear capabilities despite international sanctions. Following six underground nuclear tests from 2006 to 2017, the latest satellite data suggests renewed activity at the test site. North Korea has also conducted more than 80 ballistic missile tests since 2022.
Though North Korea signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1985, it withdrew in 2003, citing security concerns from the U.S.
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