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The IAEA reported that North Korea has built a new uranium enrichment facility at its Yongbyon nuclear complex capable of holding up to 28 centrifuge cascades and started operating a new annex at its Kangson enrichment site earlier this year.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**North Korea** built a new uranium enrichment facility at Yongbyon that could house up to 28 centrifuge cascades on both floors of a two-storey building, the IAEA said in an Aug. 28 report.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

The **IAEA** reported that the Kangson enrichment site near Pyongyang began operating a new annex in January, with the annex itself constructed in 2024.

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North Korea adds Yongbyon uranium enrichment facility: IAEA — SkimNews

By Straits Times Asia · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-09-09

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North Korea built a new uranium enrichment facility at Yongbyon that could house up to 28 centrifuge cascades on both floors of a two-storey building, the IAEA said in an Aug. 28 report.
The IAEA reported that the Kangson enrichment site near Pyongyang began operating a new annex in January, with the annex itself constructed in 2024.
IAEA director general Rafael Grossi told the agency's board of governors on Sept. 7 that the ongoing enrichment operations and reported expansion in weapons-grade nuclear material production are "a cause for serious concern."
The IAEA identified the new Yongbyon building by comparing state media photographs of Kim Jong Un's June visit with satellite imagery of the construction; the agency has had no inspectors in North Korea since 2009.
North Korea rejected the IAEA's authority, with its U.N. mission in Vienna saying in September 2025 that its nuclear weapons state status is "irreversible" and the agency has "no legal right" to interfere.
The IAEA said the developments in North Korea's nuclear program violate UN Security Council resolutions.

Why it matters: The IAEA's findings confirm North Korea continues adding capacity to produce weapons-grade uranium at two separate sites (Yongbyon and Kangson) in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. With no inspectors on the ground since 2009, the agency can only track the program through satellite imagery and North Korea's own state media — and Pyongyang's outright rejection of IAEA authority means there is no independent path to verify the true scale of any future expansion.