North's new nuclear facility appears to boost HEU production through improved efficiency: U.S. expert
Published: 12 Jun. 2025, 13:33
Updated: 12 Jun. 2025, 19:54
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reported to inspect local nuclear materials facilities on Jan. 29 [KCNA/YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/12/36521513-257f-4aab-983b-aec501639862.jpg)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reported to inspect local nuclear materials facilities on Jan. 29 [KCNA/YONHAP]
A new nuclear-related facility is under construction in Yongbyon, North Pyongan Province — North Korea’s main hub for nuclear development — according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and a U.S. expert says it is about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from an existing facility.
Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, made the analysis based on satellite images taken in April by commercial satellite service Planet Labs, according to Japan’s Kyodo News on Thursday.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said in his report to the agency's Board of Governors on June 9 that the new facility under construction shows characteristics similar to those of the one in Kangson, near Pyongyang.
Lewis explained that the new site appears to include a central hall presumably for uranium-enriching centrifuges, surrounded by administrative and support facilities. He added that its layout and scale resemble the Kangson facility under construction in 2002.
The Kangson nuclear complex has been assessed as a site specialized in the production of highly enriched uranium (HEU), a key component for nuclear weapons, and is believed to be capable of producing about 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of weapons-grade HEU annually.
Lewis also suggested that North Korea has improved the efficiency of its centrifuge arrangement, increasing productivity without expanding the facility's size.
Regarding North Korean media reports that leader Kim Jong-un visited a nuclear weapons research center and a nuclear material production site in September last year and January this year, Lewis said the September visit appeared to be to Kangson and the January one to Yongbyon.
However, Kyodo noted that some Japanese researchers believe both visits may have been to Yongbyon, making it difficult to confirm the locations definitively.
![A picture of North Korea's Yongbyon revealed by Planet Labs [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/12/094a9c4a-0c28-465b-8030-e89525c80cf8.jpg)
A picture of North Korea's Yongbyon revealed by Planet Labs [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Although North Korean state media released photos of the facility interiors at the time, they did not disclose the specific locations.
Since the botched summit between North Korea and the United States in 2019 in Hanoi, the North is believed to have resumed operations at a reactor within the Yongbyon nuclear complex and continued producing nuclear materials through plutonium reprocessing or uranium enrichment.
The new facility under construction is also presumed to be related to nuclear material production. It may be connected to Kim’s directive in January that “production of weapons-grade nuclear material must be increased,” and could be one of the sites he has already inspected.
In response, the South Korean government said it is closely monitoring the developments and urged North Korea to reengage in denuclearization dialogue.
“The government is closely watching trends in North Korea’s nuclear facilities and activities in close coordination with the United States and other allies,” the Foreign Ministry and Unification Ministry said. “North Korea’s nuclear activities are a clear violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and pose a challenge to international peace, security and the nonproliferation regime.”
“We urge North Korea to immediately cease all nuclear activities and return to the path of denuclearization and dialogue," added the official.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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