North Korea unveils suspected enrichment facility

North Korea on June 4 unveiled a newly built facility believed to produce nuclear materials, in what is thought to be a uranium enrichment plant. Kim Jong Un inspected the newly operational facility and stressed the need to further strengthen the country's nuclear arsenal. South Korean authorities believe the site is likely a new nuclear facility within the Yongbyon nuclear complex.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim visited the newly commissioned nuclear material production facility on June 3. After reviewing production data and operational plans, he said North Korea's capacity to produce weapons-grade nuclear material had more than doubled over the past five years as the country pushed ahead with its nuclear weapons program.

Kim said the regime had finalized the sequence and guarantees needed to carry out a broad plan to exponentially expand the nation's nuclear forces. The move is seen as an effort to showcase North Korea's nuclear capabilities and reinforce its claim to nuclear-armed state status ahead of a possible visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

North Korea did not disclose the facility's location or size. South Korean authorities believe it is most likely the uranium enrichment facility built last year at the Yongbyon nuclear complex. However, the site could also be in Kusong, North Pyongan Province, or the so-called Fourth Area, neither of which has previously been revealed to the public. North Korea is believed to operate uranium enrichment facilities in Yongbyon, Kangson and Kusong. This is the third time Kim's visit to a nuclear material production facility has been made public, following similar disclosures in September 2024 and January 2025.


Oh-Hyuk Kwon hyuk@donga.com