North Korea Bomb Threat Escalates as New Nuclear Facility Nears Completion

North Korea may be significantly expanding its nuclear capabilities. Director General Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that the country’s leadership is working aggressively to advance its ability to produce nuclear weapons.

Grossi made the announcement during a visit to Seoul, South Korea, on April 15. North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in 2006 and is believed to have around 50 warheads. But according to Grossi, the country already possesses “several dozen” nuclear weapons and has now made “very serious” progress to further increase that number.

North Korea is reportedly scaling up uranium enrichment by adding a new facility at its primary nuclear complex in Yongbyon. Satellite imagery from early April suggests this facility could become operational soon, as construction nears completion. The facility would provide the country with a second pathway to obtain weapons-grade material alongside plutonium reprocessing.

Grossi also said multiple nuclear reactors in North Korea are showing signs of high activity, including the five-megawatt reactor and a light-water reactor. These reactors are essential for producing plutonium, which is necessary for more advanced warheads.

“All of them point to ​a very serious increase in the capabilities of the DPRK in the area of nuclear weapons production,” Grossi said, adding, “Moving towards nuclear weapons would never give any country increased security. It is essential that this activity is not conducive to proliferation of nuclear weapons.”

The new enrichment facility has reportedly not been disclosed to international nuclear authorities. According to the Center, for Strategic and International Studies, North Korea has built a similar facility in Kangson near Pyongyang, which has also not been declared to the authorities.

The development could spark major concerns for the US, as North Korea is known to possess intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are capable of striking the US mainland. It also poses challenges for North Korea’s arch-rival, South Korea, which is already pursuing a program to build nuclear-powered submarines after receiving U.S. approval last year.

The United Nations (U.N.) has already passed several resolutions against North Korea since its first nuclear test. These include a total ban on the import and export of all weapons and related materiel, prohibitions on the country’s export of natural resources, and limits on the amount of oil that can be supplied to the country.

However, North Korea has continued advancing its nuclear program despite the sanctions. Meanwhile, the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, suspended diplomatic talks with South Korea after his 2019 nuclear talks with President Donald Trump collapsed.

The news about the expansion of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities comes just days after the country announced that it tested a ballistic missile equipped with a cluster-bomb warhead.

The warhead is designed to release hundreds of smaller bombs that can explode over a wide target. Additionally, North Korea’s state media has also reported tests of electromagnetic weapons systems and carbon-fiber bombs.