North Korea Reveals First Photos of Forbidden Uranium Enrichment Site, Reports Reuters

By Hyunsu Yim and Josh Smith

SEOUL – North Korea has for the first time released images of centrifuges used to produce fuel for its nuclear weapons, as leader Kim Jong Un visited a uranium enrichment facility and emphasized the need for increased production of weapons-grade material to enhance the country’s nuclear arsenal.

State media coverage of Kim’s visit to the Nuclear Weapons Institute and a facility for weapon-grade nuclear materials provided a rare glimpse into North Korea’s nuclear program, which is prohibited under various United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The released images show Kim walking among rows of metal centrifuges that enrich uranium. The report did not specify when the visit took place or the location of the facility.

During the visit, Kim urged the facility’s workers to ramp up production of materials for tactical nuclear weapons, asserting that the nuclear arsenal is crucial for addressing threats from the United States and its allies. He stated the weapons are essential for "self-defense and the capability for a preemptive attack."

Kim claimed that "anti-DPRK nuclear threats" from what he referred to as "U.S. imperialists-led vassal forces" have surpassed acceptable limits, according to the state media.

In response, South Korea condemned North Korea’s display of its uranium enrichment capabilities, reiterating that it cannot accept Pyongyang’s possession of nuclear weapons, according to the South’s unification ministry.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby refrained from commenting on the images but noted that the U.S. continues to monitor North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and ballistic missile developments.

Analysts believe North Korea has several uranium enrichment sites. Recent commercial satellite imagery indicates construction activity at the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center, including its uranium enrichment facility, suggesting possible expansion.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi stated that the agency had detected operations consistent with a reactor and the reported centrifuge enrichment facility at Yongbyon.

Kim emphasized the need to increase the number of centrifuges to "exponentially increase" North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, while also expanding the use of a new type of centrifuge to enhance the production of weapons-grade nuclear materials.

The centrifuges depicted in the photos appear smaller and shorter than those previously believed to be employed by North Korea, indicating that advancements may have been made in the design to improve efficiency in uranium enrichment, according to Lee Sang-kyu, a nuclear engineering expert at South Korea’s Korea Institute for Defense Analysis.

The images also confirmed that North Korea uses a cascade system, which links numerous centrifuges to achieve high levels of uranium enrichment, Lee added. Ankit Panda from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace remarked that the introduction of a new type of centrifuge displays advancements in North Korea’s fuel cycle capabilities.

Panda further noted that Kim’s statements suggest North Korean tactical nuclear weapon designs could primarily rely on uranium, allowing for easier scaling of highly enriched uranium supplies compared to plutonium.

The first and only photographs of such centrifuge equipment were made available in 2010, when North Korea invited foreign scientists to inspect a facility at Yongbyon. Jenny Town from the Stimson Center remarked that the recent report demonstrates significant advancements in North Korea’s enrichment capabilities, enhancing the credibility of its commitment to expanding its nuclear arsenal.

This display may also serve as a signal regarding U.S. foreign policy, suggesting to future administrations that denuclearization may no longer be feasible and emphasizing North Korea’s status as a nuclear power, according to Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul.

On the same day, Russian Security Council chief Sergei Shoigu met with Kim to discuss bilateral and international topics, reflecting a deepening military collaboration between North Korea and Russia. Analysts note that North Korea is continuing to supply weapons to Russia, including new ballistic missiles produced this year.

Additionally, a separate report indicated that Kim supervised the test launch of a new 600mm multiple launch rocket system, which a South Korean official suggested could be intended for potential export to Russia.

North Korea has conducted six underground nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017 and has previously released images of what it claimed to be nuclear warheads. Estimates of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal vary widely, though a report from July suggested that the country may have produced enough fissile material for up to 90 nuclear weapons, although only about 50 of these are believed to be assembled.