North Korea is expanding operations at its main nuclear site, according to newly analyzed satellite imagery from the 38 North project, a research program run by the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington. The findings indicate that modernization and construction at the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center have been underway for roughly two months, following Kim Jong Un’s August directive that the country must “rapidly expand” its nuclear forces.
Located about 100 kilometers north of Pyongyang, the Yongbyon complex is the core of North Korea’s nuclear program and the country’s primary site for producing fissile materials, including plutonium and enriched uranium. The facility is believed to house an experimental reactor, uranium enrichment halls, and other infrastructure critical to sustaining nuclear weapons development.
Analysts also noted activity linked to the construction of an Experimental Light Water Reactor, which reportedly entered pre-operational testing earlier this year. Once operational, it would give North Korea a second source of fissile material and further expand its production capacity.
The imagery suggests new support structures as well, including what appears to be a second radioactive waste storage facility. If confirmed, such an addition would signal an anticipated long-term increase in nuclear material output, contradicting past assessments that Yongbyon had been shut down or operating at reduced capability.
North Korea is currently estimated to possess roughly 50 nuclear warheads, with enough fissile material to potentially produce around 40 more.
While U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed interest this year in restarting nuclear talks with Pyongyang, Kim is seen as having little incentive to entertain denuclearization. North Korea’s political and military standing has strengthened in recent years, particularly after signing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Russia in 2024 that includes a mutual defense treaty. Moscow has since confirmed it would defend North Korea if attacked.
With its strategic ties to both Russia and China deepening—as both powers increasingly accept a nuclear-armed North Korea—the prospects for renewed denuclearization negotiations on the Korean Peninsula appear remote.