Seoul Warns: North Korea May Possess Up to 2 Tons of Highly Enriched Uranium

South Korea’s defense and intelligence authorities have provided new insight into North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, confirming that the North possesses a “significant” stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU), a key ingredient for nuclear weapons.

In a rare public statement, South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young revealed that intelligence estimates put Pyongyang’s HEU stockpile—enriched to more than 90 percent purity—at up to 2,000 kilograms. He warned that the material, if fully dedicated to weapons production, could be sufficient to produce a “massive number” of nuclear warheads.

“Even at this very hour, North Korea’s uranium centrifuges are operating at four sites,” Chung told reporters, AFP reported. He explained that only five to six kilograms of plutonium is required to construct a single nuclear bomb, highlighting the potential threat posed by the North’s uranium reserves.

Chung stressed the urgency of curbing North Korea’s nuclear development, noting that sanctions alone are unlikely to halt its weapons program. He suggested that the only viable solution would be a direct summit between Pyongyang and Washington.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently indicated willingness to engage in talks with the United States, provided the country is allowed to retain its nuclear arsenal.

North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in 2006 and remains subject to extensive UN sanctions over its banned weapons programs. While the country has historically kept the details of its uranium enrichment facilities secret, last September marked the first public acknowledgment of such capabilities.

Seoul’s intelligence agencies believe North Korea operates multiple enrichment sites, including one at the Yongbyon nuclear complex. This facility was reportedly decommissioned during previous negotiations but was later reactivated in 2021.

The revelation of North Korea’s extensive HEU stockpile underscores the ongoing challenges of nuclear nonproliferation in the region and highlights the pressing need for diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation.