North Korea has uranium for dozens of nukes, says Seoul

North Korea is believed to have amassed a large stockpile of weapons-grade uranium, with assessments suggesting Pyongyang could possess enough material for dozens of nuclear bombs, AlJazeera reported.

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South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Thursday said an assessment indicated that North Korea holds “2,000kg (about 4,400 pounds) of highly enriched uranium at a purity of 90 per cent or higher.” According to Al Jazeera, such a quantity would mark a significant increase in the country’s nuclear material reserves.

Chung noted that intelligence from civilian experts showed Pyongyang was operating multiple enrichment plants. “Even at this very hour, North Korea's uranium centrifuges are operating at four sites,” he told reporters, mentioning only the known site of Yongbyon, which North Korea had earlier decommissioned after talks but reactivated in 2021.