N Korea has built two-storey uranium enrichment facility, says watchdog

North Korea has built a new two-storey uranium enrichment facility, the head of the world's nuclear watchdog said this week, calling it a cause for "serious concern". The new building is part of the main Yongbyon nuclear complex, reportedly capable of housing up to 28 centrifuge cascades used to enrich uranium. In a report published late last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Pyongyang has also begun operating an expanded annex at another enrichment site.

These findings point to a steady expansion of North Korea's sanctioned nuclear infrastructure. The IAEA, which has no inspectors in North Korea since it was expelled in 2009, relies on satellite imagery for assessments. "The continuation and further development of the DPRK's nuclear programme are clear violations of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and are deeply regrettable," IAEA director Rafael Grossi said in a statement earlier this week.

The IAEA first referred to the existence of the building in June, although Grossi had mentioned the possibility earlier in the year. In June, the agency said that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a "newly inaugurated nuclear materials production factory" on 3 June, identified as the Yongbyon enrichment facility. Kim praised the country's "greatly expanded production capacity", stating it would "offer the possibility of carrying out larger plans".

Despite North Korea being one of the poorest countries in the world, Kim spends millions annually on a secretive nuclear arsenal, with a 2022 report by a non-proliferation think-tank estimating this figure at $640 million. "What makes North Korea's nuclear programme so concerning is that many of its facilities are unknown, concealed, and thus difficult to target," Edward Howell, a lecturer at the University of Oxford, told the BBC. Beyond Yongbyon, other facilities like Kangson are known to exist.

The IAEA also indicated that operations had started at another enrichment facility in Kangson, near Pyongyang, in January. An annex was first constructed in Kangson in 2024. The IAEA had previously noted the apparent expansion of Yongbyon, suggesting North Korea is stepping up its ability to produce nuclear weapons.

North Korea's nuclear programme has accelerated under Kim, who has conducted a record number of missile tests, including numerous intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) since 2017. The country has carried out six nuclear weapons tests, with the last in September 2017.

Source: BBC