Satellite imagery taken this month shows that Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center in North Korea is undergoing significant expansion in its uranium-enrichment area. Analysts from 38 North report new buildings, concrete paving, and six heat-exchanger units installed near a suspected centrifuge hall.
The work is seen as the most active such effort at the site since early 2025.
North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has described 2025 as a “crucial year” for building weapons-grade nuclear material — and the changes at Yongbyon appear to reflect that push.
Experts warn this expansion could speed up the regime’s ability to enrich uranium and thus increase its stockpile of nuclear warhead material.