Seoul (TDI): International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi warned on Wednesday that North Korea has made a very serious increase in its nuclear weapons production capabilities.
Grossi made the statement while speaking in Seoul during a two-day visit focused on nuclear energy cooperation and security discussions with South Korean officials.
The IAEA chief confirmed a rapid rise in activity across multiple key facilities at the Yongbyon nuclear complex.
Operations have intensified at the five-megawatt reactor, the reprocessing unit, the light water reactor, and several other sites. These developments signal accelerated efforts to expand North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
Grossi stated that North Korea’s nuclear program is now estimated to include a few dozen warheads.
The assessment comes amid ongoing concerns over Pyongyang’s continued refusal to allow IAEA inspectors access to its nuclear sites.
The IAEA observed construction of a new facility at Yongbyon with similarities to the Kangson uranium enrichment site. External analysis indicates a significant expansion of enrichment capacity.
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Satellite imagery analyzed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Monday supports the IAEA’s findings, showing the suspected uranium enrichment building at Yongbyon is now externally complete.
Grossi emphasized that the IAEA continues to monitor the situation closely through satellite imagery and other available means, as direct verification remains impossible due to lack of access.
The comments follow repeated calls by the IAEA for North Korea to return to full compliance with its safeguards obligations. North Korea has consistently rejected such demands and has accelerated its nuclear and missile activities in recent years.
The two-day visit by Grossi also included meetings with senior South Korean officials to discuss ways to strengthen nuclear safety cooperation and regional stability efforts.
He reiterated that such unchecked nuclear expansion poses serious risks not only to the Korean Peninsula but to the wider international non-proliferation regime.
Muhammad Usman Hashmi is a researcher in International Relations, focusing on climate diplomacy, global governance, and political economy in the Global South. He has contributed to policy dialogues with the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia and serves as a Senior Research Fellow at the International Council on Human Rights, Peace and Politics. He is also associated with Rethinking Economics Islamabad, contributing to research on development and sustainability.
