North Korea’s nuclear upgrades seen from space as South readies ‘monster missiles’
Renovations at Yongbyon seemingly prove Kim Jong-un is serious about expanding his arsenal – but Seoul has a bunker-busting response
Commercial satellite images of the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Centre from October and November show renovation and large-scale expansion across the complex, according to 38North, a website from US think tank the Stimson Centre devoted to analysis of North Korea.
“These improvements all serve to help fulfil Kim’s call for exponential growth of its nuclear weapons arsenals,” it said.
Yongbyon is the regime’s only known producer of plutonium and a key source of enriched uranium for its nuclear weapons.
Recent activity observed at the site appears to align with Kim’s instructions during inspections of nuclear-related facilities in January, when he called 2025 a “crucial year” for bolstering nuclear forces and producing weapons-grade nuclear material.