Satellite images taken in October and November and analyzed by the American monitoring group “38 North” showed that modernization and expansion work is continuing at the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center, as part of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s 2025 plan, which aims to strengthen the country’s nuclear arsenal.
According to the British newspaper “The Independent,” the site is North Korea’s most important facility for the production of plutonium and enriched uranium, two essential materials for the manufacture of nuclear weapons.
The images show that Pyongyang is building a large, highly fortified complex northeast of the radiochemical laboratory at the site. The “38 North” report indicated that the new facility is a two-story structure that includes a central hall, similar in design to the “Kangson” facility, which is suspected of being a secret uranium enrichment plant.
The report indicates that this facility has been the most active since the beginning of 2025, as six units believed to be heat exchangers have appeared on the side of the building, which are usually used to cool centrifuges and adjust the temperature during the enrichment process.
The analysis noted the presence of ground leveling work around a support building located south of the suspected uranium enrichment facility, with the purpose of this building unclear. The images also showed a rapid expansion of radioactive waste storage facilities inside Yongbyon.
These moves come at a time when the country’s most prominent nuclear complex is undergoing a major modernization process, in line with Kim Jong-un’s instructions at the beginning of the year to accelerate the production of nuclear materials.
The Korean leader had described 2025 as a “decisive year” for “strengthening his country’s nuclear power,” calling for doubling the production of highly enriched materials for military use.
