SEOUL/VIENNA: North Korea has constructed a new uranium-enrichment facility at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex that could accommodate as many as 28 centrifuge cascades, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The IAEA also reported signs that an expanded annex at the Kangson enrichment facility near Pyongyang has begun operating. The agency said the developments indicate that North Korea is continuing to increase its uranium-enrichment capacity at several locations.
Because IAEA inspectors have not been allowed into North Korea since 2009, the agency based its assessment on satellite imagery and photographs released by North Korean state media. It has not been able to determine precisely how many centrifuges are operating or how much highly enriched uranium the facilities may be capable of producing.
The IAEA said the continued expansion of North Korea’s nuclear infrastructure violates UN Security Council resolutions and remains a matter of serious concern. Pyongyang maintains that its status as a nuclear-armed state is irreversible and rejects the IAEA’s authority over its nuclear programme.