April 20, 2026
Local
Local
KOTA TINGGI, April 20 — A 71-year-old man has been remanded for seven days until April 26 in connection with a shooting incident in Taman Kota Jaya that left three people dead yesterday.
SEOUL, April 15 — North Korea is experiencing a “very serious increase” in its capacity to produce nuclear weapons, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said during a visit to Seoul on Tuesday.
The highly isolated country is believed to operate several uranium enrichment facilities, a crucial process in the development of nuclear warheads, according to South Korea’s intelligence agency.
Among them is the Yongbyon nuclear complex, which Pyongyang had previously claimed to dismantle after negotiations but reportedly reactivated in 2021.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said the agency’s regular assessments show a rapid expansion in activity at the Yongbyon reactor.
He added that increased operations were also detected at the site’s reprocessing unit and light-water reactor, along with other facilities becoming active.
“All this indicates a very serious increase in the capabilities of the DPRK in nuclear weapons production, estimated at several dozen warheads,” he said, referring to North Korea by its official name.
North Korea, which carried out its first nuclear test in 2006, remains under extensive UN sanctions over its weapons programme and has repeatedly declared it will not abandon its nuclear arsenal. It expelled IAEA inspectors in 2009.
Grossi also noted the construction of a new facility similar to the Yongbyon enrichment plant, saying it suggests a potential expansion in capacity. However, he added that precise estimates are difficult without direct access to the sites.
“We believe, based on external observations, that there will be a significant increase in the DPRK’s enrichment capacity,” he said.
When asked about possible Russian involvement in North Korea’s nuclear development, Grossi said the agency had not observed any concrete evidence.
North Korea has provided troops and artillery support to Russia’s war in Ukraine, while analysts suggest it may be receiving military technology assistance in return. — AFP
