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2h ago

South Korea Says North Korea Holds Up to 2,000 Kg of HEU as Centrifuges Run at Four Sites

Seoul signals a turn toward conditional engagement following its assessment that sanctions cannot halt Pyongyang's program.

PANMUNJOM, SOUTH KOREA - JUNE 30: (SOUTH KOREA OUT): A handout photo provided by Dong-A Ilbo of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the South and North Korea on June 30, 2019 in Panmunjom, South Korea. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un briefly met at the Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ) on Sunday, with an intention to revitalize stalled nuclear talks and demonstrate the friendship between both countries. The encounter was the third time Trump and Kim have gotten together in person as both leaders have said they are committed to the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean peninsula. (Photo by Handout/Dong-A Ilbo via Getty Images)
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Unification Minister Chung Dong-young speaks during a debate in Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Sept. 19, 2025. (Yonhap)
This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 22, 2025, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un delivering a speech at a key parliamentary meeting held the previous two days. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

Overview

  • Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said centrifuges are operating at four North Korean enrichment locations, including the known Yongbyon site.
  • Chung cited publicly available expert estimates that Pyongyang may possess as much as 2,000 kilograms of highly enriched uranium and noted that 10–12 kilograms can produce one bomb.
  • The ministry later clarified that the 2,000-kilogram figure reflects assessments by civilian experts rather than classified intelligence.
  • Seoul is considering suspending live-fire drills and military field training near the Demilitarized Zone as part of confidence-building steps.
  • The government backs an early resumption of U.S.–North Korea talks and views a potential freeze deal as a realistic interim step, while Kim Jong-un says talks with Washington require dropping denuclearization demands and rules out dialogue with Seoul.