Intense activity spotted at North Korea nuclear site, says monitoring group

Satellite images from Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center indicated that an Experimental Light Water Reactor (ELWR) was nearing completion and transition to operational status

Satellite images have revealed intense activity at North Korea’s main nuclear site, according to a US think tank.

The Washington-based 38 North monitoring project said that satellite images from 3 March and 17 March at the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center indicated that an Experimental Light Water Reactor (ELWR) was nearing completion and transition to operational status.

The images showed that a 5 megawatt reactor at Yongbyon continued to operate and that construction had started on a support building around the ELWR, the report said.

It added that water discharges have been detected that could be associated with testing of the ELWR’s cooling system.

A new construction also appears to have started around the Uranium Enrichment Plant (UEP) area, likely intended to expand the uranium conversion capabilities.

“Together, these developments seem to reflect Kim Jong-un’s recent directive to increase the country’s fissile material production to expand its nuclear weapons arsenal,” the report stated.

On 24 March, North Korea said it had tested a nuclear-capable underwater drone that can set off a “super-scale radioactive tsunami” to decimate naval fleets and ports of the enemy.

North Korea’s state news agency KCNA said that the objective of the “secret weapon” is to infiltrate enemy waters and create an underwater explosion that will trigger tsunami waves.

Also last month, North Korea’s leader Mr Kim led two days of military drills “simulating a nuclear counter-attack” on South Korea, according to KCNA.

The US and South Korea have resumed and expanded joint exercises in the region after North Korea conducted more than 70 missile tests in 2022 and adopted an increasingly aggressive nuclear doctrine.

According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) last year, North Korea has assembled up to 20 nuclear warheads, and probably possessed sufficient fissile material for approximately 45–55 nuclear devices.

Additional reporting by agencies