Voice of America (VOA) reported on Friday that North Korea, which continues to expand its nuclear capabilities, may currently possess up to 50 nuclear weapons.
Former International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Deputy Director General Olli Heinonen warned in a video interview with VOA on Wednesday that with the IAEA’s official confirmation of the restart of North Korea’s light-water reactor at Nyongbyon, it’s clear that the country’s nuclear capabilities are expanding far more rapidly and extensively than it previously understood.
Heinonen stated that the reactor’s restart could potentially triple plutonium production capacity. Moreover, there’s strong evidence of a third clandestine enrichment facility beyond Nyongbyon and Kangson.
He explained that when the IAEA thoroughly inspected the Yongbyon nuclear complex in 1994, as North Korea secretly initiated its enrichment experiments, they found no traces of centrifuges. The Kangson facility didn’t exist at that time either. This suggests that enrichment likely occurred at an undisclosed third location from the outset.
Heinonen also highlighted significant upgrades to the Yongbyon nuclear complex, noting the construction of new residential areas nearby. He emphasized that this is compelling evidence that North Korea is substantially expanding its nuclear research workforce.
Assessments from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and various U.S. think tanks align with this view, suggesting that North Korea may indeed possess up to 50 nuclear weapons.