STORY: :: The UN's nuclear watchdog says North Korea has made significant advances toward producing nuclear weapons
:: Rafael Grossi, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General:
"We have been able to confirm that there is a rapid increase in the operation of the Yongbyon 5 megawatt reactor."
:: Seoul, South Korea / April 15, 2026
"All of them point to a very serious increase in the capabilities of the DPRK in the area of nuclear weapons production, which is estimated at a few dozen warheads."
:: File
:: State media reported in March that leader Kim Jong Un said his country's status as a nuclear-armed state was irreversible
Satellite imagery from April supported the IAEA's assessment, the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said on Monday.
State media KCNA reported last month that Kim had said expanding a "self-defensive nuclear deterrent" was essential to national security, regional stability and economic development.
He rejected the idea that nuclear disarmament could be exchanged for economic benefits or security guarantees, saying North Korea had already proven that maintaining nuclear forces while pursuing development was the correct strategic choice.
