▲ The Yongbyon nuclear complex in North Korea (The photo above is unrelated to the content of the article.)
Construction to expand the existing uranium enrichment building at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear complex has begun, US-based NK News reported on September 29, citing satellite imagery.
According to the report, the construction began in mid-September, and the exact purpose of the new building remains unclear.
High-resolution satellite imagery shows that the new building is being constructed at an area of approximately 1,300 square meters at the southeast corner of the existing uranium enrichment building in Yongbyon, with a blue roof already installed on most of the expanded section.
NK News explained that satellite images from September 7 showed no such construction had begun yet, suggesting that North Korean authorities are rushing the project.
The media outlet noted that this move comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un instructed authorities to exponentially increase the country's nuclear arsenal during what appeared to be a visit to Yongbyon in June of this year.
The outlet also suggested a potential link to the expansion of uranium enrichment capacity, pointing out that the shape and size of the building are similar to an extension added to the same uranium enrichment building about five years ago, as well as an expansion built at the Kangson uranium enrichment facility in 2024.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assessed that a new centrifuge cascade installed inside a similar expansion at Kangson is believed to have begun operations in January of this year, 22 months after construction started.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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