International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said during a visit to Seoul on Wednesday that monitoring showed a “rapid increase in activity” at the Yongbyon nuclear facility, the centerpiece of Pyongyang’s nuclear program.“In our regular assessments, we have been able to confirm that operations at the Yongbyon reactor are rapidly increasing,” Grossi said, warning that all signs pointed to expansion of North Korea’s weapons production capabilities.
Increasing activity in Yongbyon raises alarm
The U.N. watchdog observed an increase in activity not only at the five-megawatt reactor, but also at Yongbyon’s reprocessing unit and light-water reactor, AFP reported. Grossi added that the launch of additional facilities further underscores the scale of the expansion.“All of this demonstrates a very significant improvement in North Korea’s capabilities in the field of nuclear weapons production,” he said, noting that the program is currently estimated to have “several dozen warheads.”The agency found that a new uranium enrichment facility similar to the existing one is under construction, indicating a significant increase in production capacity. Satellite imagery cited by the Center for Strategic and International Studies supports this assessment, suggesting that a factory capable of producing weapons-grade materials may have been built.
Enrichment Drive and Global Attention
In addition to plutonium reprocessing, experts say enriching uranium offers North Korea an alternative and potentially more efficient way to obtain weapons-grade material, Reuters reported.Grossi noted that while direct inspections have been impossible since Pyongyang expelled IAEA inspectors in 2009, external analysis of the facility showed a “significant increase in enrichment capabilities” in the country.Despite concerns about Moscow’s growing ties with Pyongyang, Grossi said the agency had not observed “any extraordinary” indication that Russia was aiding North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.North Korea, which conducted its first nuclear test in 2006, remains under severe United Nations sanctions and has repeatedly said it will not give up its nuclear arsenal, raising ongoing concerns about regional security and global nuclear proliferation.
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