North Korea Escalating Nuclear Program In ‘Deeply Troubling’ Move

North Korea's ongoing nuclear activities are a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and a cause for "serious concern," according to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The August report lays out what it calls "deeply troubling" actions taken by North Korea, including the expansion of uranium enrichment capabilities.

"Since 2021, an expansion in (North Korea's) enrichment capacity has been observed, with extensions to existing enrichment facilities at the Yongbyon site and at Kangson, and the construction of an additional uranium enrichment facility at Yongbyon," the report states.

North Korea conducted nuclear tests in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016, and 2017. Those tests led to United Nations Security Council passing resolutions demanding that North Korea abandon all nuclear weapons and essentially cease its program. The measure also called on North Korea to allow IAEA inspectors access to facilities to verify that it had met the requirements.

"Contrary to the requirements of those resolutions, the (North Korea) has not abandoned its existing nuclear programme in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner or ceased all related activities," the report states.

The report notes that IAEA inspectors have not been present in North Korea since 2009 and that rather than stopping activities, it appears that North Korea has expanded its program.

"There were indications of expanded mining, milling and concentration activities at the Pyongsan Uranium Mine and the Pyongsan Uranium Concentrate Plant, and ongoing activity at the Wolbisan Uranium Mine," the report states.

In September 2025, North Korea stated that it was a "nuclear weapons state" and that this had "become irreversible." The country also asserted that the IAEA had "no legal right" to interfere in the internal affairs of a nuclear weapons state.

North Korea has also conducted numerous missile tests in an apparent effort to boost its capabilities. The Council on Foreign Relations think tank noted that North Korea launched a record number of missiles in 2022, following two years of inactivity.

"Frequent tests have continued into 2023 and included its first solid-fuel ICMB, the Hwasong-18, which requires less time to launch and is easier to hide. If successfully developed, it would decrease the probability of success of a pre-emptive strike on North Korea's arsenal," the report stated.

The Council stated that the U.S. had responded to the ongoing missile tests by North Korea by deploying an anti-missile system to South Korea: "The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is located in the Seongju region of South Korea, one hundred and fifty-five miles from the northern border."

Also, the U.S. has continued economic sanctions against North Korea and, in 2017, placed North Korea on its list of countries that had sponsored terrorism.