North Korea Reveals First Weapons-Grade Uranium Manufacturing Site

North Korea Unveils Weapons-Grade Uranium Manufacturing Site

On Friday, North Korea took a significant step in showcasing its expanding nuclear capabilities by revealing a weapons-grade uranium-manufacturing site for the first time. This event comes as the nation’s leader, Kim Jong-un, emphasizes the enhancement of the country’s nuclear arsenal in the midst of rising geopolitical tensions and the upcoming United States presidential election in November.

During a recent visit to a centrifuge plant—previously a closely guarded element of North Korea’s nuclear program—Mr. Kim urged his engineers to accelerate the production of highly enriched uranium. His goal is to construct “exponentially” more nuclear weapons, as reported by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency on Friday.

The state media released images showing Mr. Kim inspecting what appeared to be a modern facility, filled with extensive rows of centrifuges, which are essential devices used for uranium enrichment. These images will undoubtedly be scrutinized by foreign governments seeking intelligence, especially as tensions with South Korea escalate and the Biden administration has refocused the United States’ nuclear strategy to address potential coordinated threats from China, Russia, and North Korea.

Although North Korea previously showcased a centrifuge plant to a visiting group of former U.S. officials and academics in 2010—including the former director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Siegfried Hecker—the recent report and accompanying photos represent the first instance of the country openly unveiling such a facility to the global audience.

A series of resolutions enacted by the United Nations Security Council explicitly prohibit North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, the regime has consistently defied these sanctions, continuing to produce nuclear bomb fuel and conducting underground tests of six nuclear devices, alongside tests of ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads.

Following his 2010 visit to the Yongbyon facility, Dr. Hecker noted that the uranium-enrichment site appeared to house approximately 2,000 gas centrifuges. However, it is widely believed that North Korea operates additional centrifuge plants in undisclosed locations. Experts have raised suspicions about the Kangson facility, located just outside of Pyongyang, being one such covert site. In June, Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, remarked that the Kangson complex exhibited similarities to the centrifuge enrichment facility at Yongbyon.