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Photos suggest that an expanded enrichment plant could increase production of military-grade plutonium by up to 25 percent.
Recent satellite images show that North Korea is expanding a uranium enrichment plant at its main nuclear complex in Yongbyon, a sign that it intends to increase production of bomb materials, experts say.
A report from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey said photos taken by satellite imagery company Maxar showed construction in an area adjacent to the Yongbyon uranium enrichment plant.
“The expansion of the enrichment plant probably indicates that North Korea is planning to increase its production of military-grade uranium at the Yongbyon site by up to 25%,” said Jeffrey Lewis and two other experts. of the institute in their report.
North Korea recently announced its first ballistic missile testing in six months with nuclear negotiations with the United States stalled since 2019.
A satellite image taken on September 14 showing part of an expansion of a uranium enrichment plant at North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear complex [Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies via AP]The Middlebury report said a satellite image taken on September 1 showed North Korea cleared trees and prepared the ground for construction, and a construction excavator was also visible. The report states that a second image taken two weeks later showed that a wall had been built to enclose the area and that signs had been removed from the side of the enrichment building to provide access to the newly closed area.
The new area measures approximately 1,000 square meters (10,760 square feet), enough space to house an additional 1,000 centrifuges, which would increase the plant’s capacity to produce highly enriched uranium by 25%, according to the report.
Nuclear weapons can be built using either highly enriched uranium or plutonium, and North Korea has facilities to produce both at Yongbyon. Earlier satellite photos of Yongbyon last month showed signs that North Korea was resuming operation of other facilities to produce military-grade plutonium.
A satellite image from August 14 showing a glimpse of the Yongbyon complex (top center right) [Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies via AP]North Korea calls the Yongbyon complex “the heart” of its nuclear program.
During a summit with then-President Donald Trump in early 2019, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered to dismantle the entire complex if he received major sanctions relief. The proposal was rejected.
Some US and South Korean experts believe North Korea is secretly operating at least one other uranium enrichment plant. In 2018, a senior South Korean official told parliament that North Korea has already manufactured up to 60 nuclear weapons.
Estimates of how many nuclear weapons North Korea can add each year vary, ranging from six to 18.
In addition to ballistic missile tests, North Korea also said it launched cruise missiles out to sea in tests seen as an effort to bolster its attack capability against South Korea and Japan, where the United States has about 80,000 troops.
Experts say the long-range missile, which Pyongyang described as “strategic”Could be armed with nuclear warheads.
President Joe Biden completed a month-long review of US policy toward North Korea in May, saying he would continue to seek denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula but not pursue any “good dealWith Pyongyang.
North Korea accused the United States of continuing “hostility” threatening to expand its nuclear arsenal and develop more sophisticated weapons.
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