How the West is powerless to track North Korea’s hidden nuclear network as secret uranium factory revealed

THE West is completely blind to North Korea’s covert nuclear network as the hermit state reveals a new top-secret uranium factory, an expert has warned. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) uncovered the pariah state’s secret two-storey building at Yongbyon by comparing satellite pictures. North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un looks around the new nuclear materials production factory in June Credit: KCNA A bombshell report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) uncovered a new nuke factory at Yongbyon Credit: Reuters The agency compared pictures from 2019 to reveal the new factory Credit: Getty Kim has refused to let nuclear inspectors in since he kicked them out in 2009 Credit: Reuters A bombshell report from the IAEA pieced together the images with intel from previous inspections to reveal the new nuke factory. The facility can house up to 28 centrifuge cascades to enrich uranium – that’s enough to produce several nuclear warheads a year. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Kim Jong Un has refused to let inspectors in since he kicked them out in 2009, so the watchdog does not know the scale of his hidden nuclear network. The fast-expanding nuke site should not be ignored, according to North Korea expert Dr Edward Howell, a lecturer at the University of Oxford and author of an upcoming book, A New Axis of Upheaval, North Korea, Russia, China and Iran. He told The Sun: “Any development in North Korea’s nuclear program should be taken seriously, particularly given we do not know where a large number of their facilities are located.” Dr Howell explained: “This makes the North Korea case very difficult for the West. We don’t know where the latest sites are located. “Pyongyang has done a very good job at concealing them.” The IAEA revealed the expansion in a report that suggests the dictatorship continues to push on with its sanctioned nuclear programme. Most read in The Sun An expert warned: ‘We don’t know where the latest sites are located’ Credit: EPA He told The Sun: ‘Any development in North Korea’s nuclear program should be taken seriously’ Credit: Reuters It revealed Kim had visited a “newly inaugurated nuclear materials production factory” in June, where he praised the country’s “greatly expanded production capacity”. Inspectors know that sites other than Yongbyon exist, including in Kangson, but not the scale of other clandestine projects, or their exact locations. The IAEA warned that Kim said the new nuke factory was built to “offer the possibility of carrying out larger plans”. And the West might not find out about those “larger plans” until it’s too late. It also reported that Kangson, another known site, was expanding fast. Dr Howell said: “Often we end up only knowing what is happening once it has happened, once the North Korean regime has announced it. “And by that time one might say it’s too late to do anything about it.” Kim ploughs millions into his nuclear programme, despite running one of the poorest states in the world. Dr Howell said: ‘Often we end up only knowing what is happening once it has happened’ Credit: Reuters Kim ploughs millions into his nuclear programme Credit: Reuters Dr Howell said that Kim’s dictator pal Putin is helping the tiny tyrant, adding: “North Korea is being ably assisted by Russia in developing its military nuclear and missile capabilities”. “We’ve got North Korea using this alliance to benefit from it and strengthen its nuclear and missile capabilities. “This is a real challenge for the United States, for Britain and for the West.” The two powers enjoy an increasingly close relationship as Putin ploughs on with his bloodthirsty war on Ukraine. Kim opened a new bridge to Russia this week as part of the dictator continued to fuel Mad Vlad’s war machine with weapons in exchange for support with nukes. Ammo, troops and military technology could soon move at pace across the new border crossing, which is capable of handling 300 vehicles daily. Dr Howell added: “I think we can say with much greater certainty that any North Korean missile that is tested and any North Korean weapon system that is unveiled can plausibly have been created with Russian assistance. “I do not think that Russia is providing North Korea with the best technology. “But even B-plus grade technology would be far superior than the Soviet legacy systems that Pyongyang has in its current possession. And this is particularly concerning.” The North Korean leader’s ultimate goal since he came to power in 2011, Dr Howell said, has been to have “North Korea recognised as a de facto nuclear weapon state”. He said the dictator has only become more desperate for this recognition, adding “this goal has only accelerated and intensified over time”. Kim needs his programme to be bigger and more credible for his threats to be taken seriously on the world stage. North Korea has conducted six nuclear weapons tests to date, most recently in September 2017. It declared itself a nuclear power in 2022. Dr Howell said: “Kim Jong Un aims to develop and increase the scope and sophistication of its nuclear and missile capabilities.” He explained that the North Korean leader needs to build up credible second strike capability to reach his goals. Dr Howell added: “We have seen North Korea make clear their desire to gain solid fuel intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities, for instance, and North Korea has revealed its largest ever solid fuel ICBM.” Comment now