IAEA Chief Warns North Korea Sharply Boosting Nuclear Weapons Capacity with Probable New Enrichment Facility

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reported that North Korea has made very serious advances in its ability to produce nuclear weapons, with rapid increases in activity at the Yongbyon nuclear complex including the five-megawatt reactor, reprocessing unit, and light water reactor. The IAEA identified a new building at Yongbyon with similarities to the enrichment facility at Kangson, suggesting a probable expansion of uranium enrichment capacity that provides an alternative path to weapons-grade material beyond plutonium reprocessing. Grossi estimated the DPRK's arsenal at a few dozen warheads. The expansion complicates intelligence assessments as Pyongyang seeks nuclear recognition as a precondition for any talks with Washington.