New Nuclear Facility Under Construction in North Korea, Expert Analysis Reveals
In a recent report, Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), indicated that North Korea is constructing a new nuclear facility in Yongbyon. Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, analyzed satellite images and concluded that this facility is located approximately 2 kilometers from the existing Yongbyon nuclear site. He shared images taken by the private satellite service Planet Labs, suggesting that this site is likely the new uranium enrichment facility mentioned by Grossi.
Lewis elaborated on his blog that while the IAEA has not released images of the facility, Grossi's description aligns with a construction site they have been monitoring near Yongbyon. He pinpointed the coordinates of the new building to approximately 39.786° N latitude and 125.759° E longitude, which is indeed about 2 kilometers from the established Yongbyon complex. The structure is estimated to be around 95 meters long and 24 meters wide, featuring a central hall surrounded by offices and support spaces, resembling the layout of the nuclear facility in Kangson that was under construction in 2002.
Furthermore, Lewis posited that North Korea is enhancing productivity by optimizing the arrangement of centrifuges without expanding the facility. He noted that North Korea is placing more centrifuges in smaller spaces, with the latest facility showing a denser configuration compared to the Kangson facility, which required about 0.7 square meters per centrifuge. He observed that the spacing between horizontally arranged centrifuges is decreasing.
In relation to previous reports from North Korean media about Kim Jong-un's inspections of nuclear weapons research and nuclear material production facilities, Lewis suggested that the September visit was to Kangson, while the January visit was to Yongbyon. However, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that some researchers believe both sites were in Yongbyon, indicating uncertainty about the exact locations. North Korean media did release internal photos of the facilities but did not specify their locations.
On June 9, Grossi expressed concern during an IAEA board meeting in Vienna, stating that signs of North Korea strengthening its nuclear capabilities, including the construction of new facilities in Yongbyon, have been detected. He emphasized that the ongoing construction is being monitored and that the new facility shares similarities in scale and characteristics with the uranium enrichment facility in Kangson. Grossi condemned North Korea's nuclear development as a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
In a related development, on June 11, a joint statement from eight countries, including South Korea, the United States, and Japan, called on North Korea to re-engage in negotiations for complete denuclearization in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. These nations highlighted that North Korea's nuclear development poses a threat to peace and security and expressed regret over the IAEA's inability to verify North Korean nuclear-related facilities.
