< Footage of North Korea's uranium enrichment facility may show an undeclared nuclear bomb building site just outside the capital. This is the opinion of analysts quoted by "Reuters".
On Friday, North Korea for the first time showed photos of the centrifuges that produce fuel for its nuclear bombs. Leader Kim Jong-un visited a uranium enrichment facility and called for more weapons materials to increase the arsenal.
In the footage, Kim walks between long rows of metal centrifuges - the machines that enrich uranium. The location of the facility is not specified.
North Korean observers and analysts have clarified that the site, known as "Kangsong", is suspected to be a secret uranium enrichment plant.
Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear nonproliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies; stated that five images of the interior facility, including the "large" hall, match the characteristics of the satellite images of the nuclear site.
North Korea showed off uranium enrichment centrifuges
The North Korean leader said the "US-led imperialist vassal powers" have crossed the red line,
The strange shape of the annex and the unusual set of columns and beams are "in great coincidence" with the site built by North Korea this year, he noted.
"This is probably "Kangseon". It's a uranium enrichment plant," Lewis concluded.
North Korea is believed to have several uranium enrichment facilities.
According to analysts, satellite images in recent years have shown construction at the main Yongbyon nuclear research center and the Kangseong site, suggesting possible expansion at both sites.
Colin Zwirko, senior analytical correspondent for NK Pro, a Seoul-based website that monitors North Korea, said photos and satellite images show the compound to be "Kangsong".
In June, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, announced that this year a new annex to the main building in the "Kangsong" complex is being built. and added that the complex shares "infrastructural characteristics with the reported Yongbyon Centrifugal Enrichment Facility".
DPRK wants to increase its nuclear weapons
A strong military presence is needed to face the various threats coming from the United States and its followers, according to Kim Jong-un
During the visit, which was covered by North Korean media, Kim stressed the need to increase the number of centrifuges to "exponentially increase" of the nuclear arsenal and expanding the use of a new type of centrifuge to strengthen the production of weapons-grade nuclear material.
The photos, which show an advanced centrifuge design and a chamber of cascades connecting the centrifuges, suggest North Korea has made progress in its uranium enrichment program, experts say.
"The size of the stunts and the hall on display means significant capacity, perhaps not to the level of ``exponential growth'' as ordered by Kim, but significant growth nonetheless, said 38 North, a Washington-based monitoring program North Korea.
"These centrifuges are likely to be designed and manufactured by North Korea," the program noted, adding that the location shown in the photos could be Yongbyon.
The disclosure of North Korea's secret nuclear facility could also be aimed at influencing the US election and sending a signal to the next US administration that nuclear disarmament is no longer possible, some experts say.