N. Korea Reveals Undeclared Uranium Enrichment Facility in Kangson Complex, IAEA Chief Reports.

Vienna: The uranium enrichment facility unveiled by North Korea in September is believed to be an undeclared expansion within its primary nuclear site near Pyongyang, as stated by the head of the international nuclear agency. Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), provided this assessment following North Korea's disclosure of the uranium enrichment base through a state media dispatch in September, which included images of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visiting the facility.According to Yonhap News Agency, the Kangson nuclear complex is one of the two known nuclear sites operated by the secretive state, alongside the Yongbyon nuclear site situated north of Pyongyang. Grossi noted, "The depicted centrifuge cascades and infrastructure are consistent with the layout of a centrifuge enrichment facility and with the structure of the main building at the Kangson Complex and its newly constructed annex." He elaborated in a statement to the IAEA board of governors that th e photograph showing the installation of centrifuges aligns with Kim's directive for a substantial increase in the number of centrifuges to expedite nuclear weapons production.Grossi expressed concern about the display of the undeclared enrichment facility at Kangson and Kim's call to 'further strengthen the foundation for producing weapon-grade nuclear materials.' In the September 13 dispatch, Kim emphasized the need to "further augment the number of centrifuges in order to exponentially increase the nuclear weapons for self-defense." This was the first occasion North Korea publicly disclosed information about its uranium enrichment facility.A uranium enrichment facility is designed to produce highly enriched uranium (HEU) by placing uranium in centrifuges and spinning it at high speeds. HEU is crucial for manufacturing nuclear warheads, in addition to plutonium. Grossi also noted that the light water reactor at Yongbyon continues to operate intermittently, suggesting an ongoing commissioning process, an d that the centrifuge enrichment facility at the same site also remains operational.Grossi reported no significant changes at North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site, which appears to remain prepared for nuclear tests. Pyongyang last conducted an underground nuclear test in 2017.