North Korea is believed to have amassed a large stockpile of weapons-grade uranium, with assessments suggesting that Pyongyang could possess enough material for dozens of nuclear bombs.
South Korea’s Unification Minister, Chung Dong-young, stated on Thursday that an assessment indicates North Korea holds approximately 2,000 kg of highly enriched uranium at a purity level of 90 percent or higher. Such a quantity would mark a significant increase in the country’s nuclear material reserves.
Chung also revealed that Pyongyang is operating multiple uranium enrichment plants. “Even at this very hour, North Korea’s uranium centrifuges are operating at four sites,” he said, mentioning only the known site of Yongbyon. This site had been decommissioned after previous talks but was reactivated in 2021.
Foreign analysts believe that North Korea has built additional enrichment facilities as leader Kim Jong Un pushes forward with expanding the country’s nuclear arsenal. South Korea’s Defence Ministry has long maintained that the North possesses a significant amount of highly enriched uranium, which forms the core material for nuclear warheads.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), approximately 42 kg of highly enriched uranium is required to produce one nuclear weapon. Based on this estimate, the 2,000 kg stockpile would be sufficient for roughly 47 nuclear bombs.
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