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New Imagery Points to Enrichment Gear and Reactor Testing in North Korea’s Yongbyon Upgrade

Satellite analysis indicates interior outfitting consistent with expanded enrichment, signaling preparations to raise fissile‑material capacity.

Overview

  • Nov. 13 satellite images show six cylindrical devices resembling heat exchangers installed on the roof of a building believed to house uranium enrichment equipment.
  • The suspected enrichment area northeast of the radiochemical laboratory is reported as the most active it has been this year.
  • Thermal patterns at the experimental light water reactor suggest cooling‑water discharge consistent with preoperational testing.
  • Construction continues on a semiburied radioactive waste storage facility near the Old Waste Site, indicating expanded waste handling capacity.
  • The IAEA assessed that a new facility at the complex was built from December 2024 to May 2025, with features similar to the suspected Kangson enrichment site.