North Korea publicly discloses uranium enrichment facility for first time

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for increasing the number of centrifuges for uranium enrichment in order to increase its nuclear weapons for self-defense, the state media said Friday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center left, inspects the Nuclear Weapons Institute and the production base of weapons-grade nuclear materials in an image provided by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Friday. [YONHAP]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for an expansion of the number of centrifuges for uranium enrichment in order to increase its nuclear weapons for self-defense, the state media said Friday.

Kim made the call during a visit to the Nuclear Weapons Institute and the "production base of weapons-grade nuclear materials," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The dispatch did not release the location of the facility or date of the visit.

"He went around the control room of the uranium enrichment base to learn about the overall operation of the production lines," the KCNA said, adding that Kim expressed great satisfaction after being briefed that the "base is dynamically producing nuclear materials."

"When he personally went round the worksite, he said that he felt strong to see the worksite," the KCNA said. "He stressed the need to further augment the number of centrifuges in order to exponentially increase the nuclear weapons for self-defence true to the Party's line of building up nuclear armed forces."

It marks the first time North Korea has publicly revealed details of its uranium enrichment facility.

Such a facility is used to produce highly enriched uranium by placing uranium in centrifuges and spinning it at high speeds. Highly enriched uranium is essential for the manufacture of nuclear warheads.

South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies believe North Korea operates uranium enrichment facilities at the Kangson nuclear complex near Pyongyang and at the Yongbyon nuclear site.

In 2010, North Korea invited Siegfried Hecker, a renowned U.S. nuclear scientist, to inspect its uranium enrichment facility at Yongbyon.

The recently mentioned location could be North Korea's second uranium enrichment plant in Kangson, as the dispatch reported that Kim had toured the "construction site," corresponding with recent observations made by the UN nuclear watchdog.

"In late Feb. 2024, work commenced on the construction of an annex to the main building in the Kangson Complex, significantly expanding the available floor space. The annex is now externally complete," International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said in a report in June.

Additionally, Kim called for improving the separation capacity of the centrifuges and accelerating the development of a new type of centrifuge to "further solidify the foundation for producing weapons-grade nuclear materials."

Kim was accompanied by Hong Sung-mu, deputy director handling munitions in the ruling Workers' Party, who is believed to have spearheaded North Korea's nuclear program.

The sudden public disclosure of the uranium enrichment facility is seen as a move to flaunt North Korea's nuclear capabilities ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November.

Earlier this month, during a key deterrence dialogue between South Korea and the U.S., the allies warned of the possibility that North Korea could conduct significant provocations, such as a nuclear test or an intercontinental ballistic missile launch, close to the U.S. presidential election.

Yonhap