North Korea: Estimates Indicate We Have a Stockpile of Highly Enriched Uranium Estimated at Two Tons

SadaNews - South Korean Minister of Unification, Chung Dong-young, announced on Thursday that intelligence estimates indicate that North Korea possesses a stockpile of highly enriched uranium estimated at around two tons, equivalent to 2,000 kilograms of uranium with a purity exceeding 90%.

The minister confirmed that centrifuges in the country are currently operating at four different sites to produce enriched uranium.

This week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed his openness to the possibility of future talks with the United States, provided that Washington abandons its "illusory" demand for the denuclearization of his country.

Kim stated in a speech reported by the Korean Central News Agency, "If the United States abandons its obsession with denuclearization and wishes for peaceful coexistence with us, recognizing reality, there will be no obstacles to that."

At the same time, he affirmed that Pyongyang "will never abandon its nuclear weapons," warning that the world knows what happens to countries that are forced to give up their arsenals.

The stockpile of highly enriched uranium forms the backbone of North Korea's nuclear capabilities, as it can be used to develop small nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles, enhancing its strategic capabilities in confronting the United States and South Korea.

Since the early 2000s, Pyongyang has been expanding its nuclear arsenal, including the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles and sea-based missiles, within a context of escalating arms races in the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean.

Estimates of this stockpile come at a time when the region is experiencing increasing tensions, with North Korea intensifying its missile tests and raising the challenge to international diplomatic efforts to curtail its nuclear program.

Highly enriched uranium is considered a vital material that enables Pyongyang to maintain the autonomy of producing its nuclear warheads, making any international attempts to pressure it to halt its military programs more difficult.