North Korea’s ‘very serious’ nuclear weapons threat to Washington and NYC | World | News
(FILES) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump cross south of the Military Demarcation Line separating North and South Korea after Trump crossed to the north side in the Panmunjom Joint Security Zone (JSA) in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on June 30, 2019. A new initiative to lift aid sanctions against North Korea could kick off efforts to draw Kim Jong Un into nuclear talks with US President Donald Trump, analysts told AFP. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images) (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has warned that North Korea has made “very serious” advances in its ability to produce nuclear weapons.
This occurred at a time when nuclear war was in the public consciousness, amid tensions in the Middle East where the United States claimed Iran had nuclear capabilities.
North Korea is believed to have produced around 50 nuclear warheads, according to the Guardian, although some experts are skeptical of claims that North Korea could shrink them for use in long-range ballistic missiles.
During his visit to South Korea’s capital Seoul on Wednesday (April 15), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi confirmed reports of a significant increase in activities at the country’s main nuclear facility, Yongbyon.
He stated that work on Yongbyon’s 5 MW reactor, reprocessing plant, light water reactor and additional facilities has intensified. North Korea is thought to have several dozen nuclear warheads.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects destroyer Choe Hyon (Image: KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Images)
Since conducting its first nuclear test two decades ago, the regime has developed what some experts describe as a fully functional nuclear arsenal that includes intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
Under Kim Jong Un’s leadership, the country has significantly accelerated its nuclear weapons program in direct defiance of UN sanctions. Experts see this as an attempt to reduce the likelihood that the country will eventually become the target of regime change at the hands of the United States. Grossi’s comments emerged after a US think tank claimed that North Korea appeared to have completed construction of a building intended to enrich uranium at its nuclear facility.
Beyond Parallel, based at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, reported this week that satellite images showed the new installation was nearing operational readiness, according to South Korea’s Yonha news agency.
TOPSHOT – This undated photo released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 29, 2026, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a combustion test of a solid-fuel rocket engine at an undisclosed location in North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un led a ground test of an upgraded solid-fuel rocket engine, state media reported on March 29; It was the latest sign of Pyongyang’s push to build up its strategic weapons arsenal. (Photo: KCNA VIA KNS / AFP via Getty Images) / South Korea RELEASED / —EDITORS’ NOTE— EDITORIAL USE RESTRICTED – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS THIS IMAGE IS A PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. / (Image: KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Images)
The think tank stated that the suspected new enrichment facility in Yongbyon and another facility in Kangson, near the capital Pyongyang, were not reported to international nuclear authorities.
He claimed that enriched uranium production would “significantly increase the number of nuclear weapons that North Korea can possess.”
The findings were consistent with an assessment published by the IAEA in June last year, which stated that the regime was building an enrichment facility at Yongbyon that could be used to produce weapons-grade material.
In March, Grossi stated that there was no evidence of “significant change” at the North’s main nuclear testing site at Punggye-ri, while stating that the facility was capable of facilitating nuclear testing.
He called North Korea’s nuclear program a “blatant violation” of UN Security Council resolutions. He also noted that the agency “continues to maintain enhanced readiness to play its essential role in verification.” [North Korea’s] Nuclear program”. The country has not conducted a nuclear test since 2017, but has shown significant advances in missile capabilities while expanding its weapons stockpile. This is consistent with Kim’s comments last August calling for a “rapid expansion of nuclearization.”
Efforts to diplomatically rein in North Korea’s nuclear ambitions faltered after failed summits between Kim and US President Donald Trump This was compounded by worsening relations between the regime and its neighbor South Korea during his first term in office.
