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North Korea constructing new nuclear facility, IAEA reports

Published: 10 Jun. 2025, 16:12 Updated: 10 Jun. 2025, 17:15

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits a nuclear-material production base and a nuclear weapons research center on Jan. 29, North Korean state media outlet Korean Central News Agency reported. [KCNA]

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that North Korea is constructing a new nuclear facility in the Yongbyon area, according IAEA director-general Rafael Grossi.

Grossi delivered the assessment on Monday during an IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria. The new facility reportedly resembles an existing nuclear site in Kangson, near Pyongyang.

Japan’s Kyodo News reported on Tuesday that Grossi expressed deep regret over North Korea’s ongoing nuclear development and conveyed those concerns to the international community, citing diplomatic sources.

Several countries, including Japan, are expected to issue a joint statement at the board meeting to express their concern about the North’s nuclear activities.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported in September 2024 and January 2025 that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a nuclear-material production base and a nuclear weapons research center. Although rare interior images were released, the locations of the facilities were not disclosed.

The international community has maintained that North Korea’s nuclear program is a significant concern, especially due to the lack of external oversight and the regime’s continued opacity.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]