North Korea’s state news agency recently released photos of their supreme leader Kim Jong Un visiting a newly constructed uranium enrichment facility. The photos suggest that North Korea has the capacity to build more nuclear weapons than previously estimated by external agencies.

Uranium enrichment facilities are set up to isolate and process uranium-235 (U-235), an isotope of uranium used to fuel nuclear reactors or create deadly nuclear weapons. Until now, the world was aware of only one such facility in North Korea, the Yongbyon nuclear complex. However, new photos and satellite images confirm a new uranium enrichment facility in the country’s Kangson region. 

“It’s difficult to estimate precisely how many warheads Kim could build based on the new information about the enrichment plant. However, they released these photos to show they are serious about their claims to expand weapons production,” John Ford, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), told NK Pro.

The Kangson facility has enough juice 

Before we dive into the details of North Korea’s new uranium enrichment facility, it’s important to understand the tools needed to make weapons-grade uranium.

Generally, uranium enrichment facilities use cylindrical machines called centrifuges that separate the different isotopes of uranium from their natural form and specifically increase the concentration of U-235. 

The centrifuges work by spinning uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) gas at extremely high speeds, creating a strong centrifugal force. This force causes the heavier isotope, uranium-238 (U-238), to move toward the outer edge of the spinning cylinder, while the lighter isotope, U-235, stays closer to the center. 

This process is repeated several times through many centrifuges arranged in a series, resulting in the enrichment of uranium with an increased concentration of U-235. The higher the number of centrifuges a uranium enrichment facility has, the better its output. 

The Kangson facility which measures roughly 115 meters in length, could be housing 2,500 or more centrifuges. The photos show Kim Jong Un in a large hall with numerous centrifuges in a cascade, and in another room, where the installation of new centrifuges is underway — suggesting that the Kangson complex has enough fuel and tools to produce not just one or a few, but multiple nuclear weapons at once.

“It is invigorating to see the place. In order to exponentially multiply the nuclear weapons for self-defense true to the Party’s line of building the nuclear force, it is necessary to further increase the number of centrifuges,” Kin Jong Un reportedly said during his visit.

Underestimating North Korea is dangerous 

Just a couple of months ago, the Federation of American Scientists published a report, which stated that North Korea has 50 nuclear weapons in total and can increase this number to 130 by 2030. However, the researchers were aware of only one uranium enrichment facility in North Korea back then. 

Therefore, they took into account the capacity of only the Yongbyon facility, and not Kangson, suggesting that the report underestimated North Korea’s nuclear capabilities.

“We may have to significantly revise many of the estimates that are out there at the moment on how much weapons-useable fissile material [North Korea] have amassed,” Ankit Panda, a researcher at the Nuclear Policy Program of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said.

Recently, there have been reports claiming that North Korea is also developing nuclear missiles capable of targeting the US and many other parts of Europe. The increasing nuclear capabilities not only pose a significant threat but also represent another major setback to global nuclear disarmament efforts, especially amid the ongoing conflicts around the globe. 

However, North Korea is notorious for its use of propaganda to control both internal narratives and deceive the outside world. The regime often crafts an image of strength and technological prowess, but these claims are rarely credible. For example, in 2012, North Korea announced it had launched a satellite into orbit. While the launch did occur, experts worldwide confirmed the satellite was tumbling uncontrollably, rendering it useless.

It’s always hard to truly understand why North Korea does what it does, but one thing is clear: the regime’s actions are often driven by a desire to maintain power and project strength, both domestically and internationally. The display of nuclear capabilities serves as a potent tool in this strategy. It’s not clear how many nuclear weapons North Korea has, but one recent estimate puts the number at 50, external, with sufficient material to produce another 40.