North Korea Secretly Builds Second Uranium Enrichment Facility at Yongbyon

North Korea has secretly built a second uranium enrichment facility at its Yongbyon nuclear complex, according to a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The new building is two storeys tall and mirrors the design of an existing enrichment plant.

The IAEA's conclusions were based on satellite imagery, state media photographs, and open-source analysis, as inspectors have been barred from North Korean soil since 2009. State media images from Kim Jong Un's visit to the site in June 2026 inadvertently provided a look inside the facility.

The new Yongbyon plant is expected to accommodate up to 28 gas centrifuge cascades, which would significantly increase the country's production of fissile material. This development raises concerns about North Korea's nuclear activities and its violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.