The North Korean problem suddenly got a lot worse last month when Kim Jong-un unveiled a new uranium enrichment plant capable of producing weapons-grade uranium for nuclear warheads. Pyongyang has also resumed testing of cruise and ballistic missiles, firing off a new strategic cruise missile as well as a super-large warhead ballistic missile.
The location of the enrichment facility was not revealed, although some speculated that it was near the North’s existing nuclear complex at Yongbyon. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed photos of Kim walking between shoulder-high rows of centrifuges used to produce weapons-grade enriched uranium.
Estimates vary, but some analysts think North Korea may be able to produce enough uranium for as many as 200 nuclear weapons by 2027. Production from the new centrifuge facility would add to this amount. During his visit to the enrichment plant, Kim called for a massive expansion of the North’s nuclear capability. The centrifuges apparently have a new, more efficient design, which will require estimates of North Korea’s nuclear capability to be revised upwards. Exactly when the new enrichment facility came online remains unclear, although it appears to be relatively new.
Kim visited the enrichment facility on Friday, September 11. Although the location of the facility was not disclosed, there has been speculation that it is near the North’s main nuclear complex at Yongbyon. A group of American academics led by Stanford University’s Siegfried Hecker visited the facility in 2010.
Not long after Kim’s visit, KCNA reported that Pyongyang fired two new missiles into the Sea of Japan; one was a Hwasongpho-11 Da-4.5, and the other was an upgraded cruise missile. The first missile was designed to carry a super-large conventional warhead, while the second was described as “strategic,” apparently a code word for a nuclear warhead.
Kim Jong-un personally supervised both tests. Unlike in the past, he was not accompanied by his daughter, who has often appeared with him on military-related appearances. At the missile tests, Kim was quoted as saying that the current international situation required Pyongyang to prioritize military strength.
