Vienna: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is closely monitoring the construction of a new building within North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear facilities. The agency’s chief has stated that the building shares dimensions and features with the country’s uranium enrichment facility located near Pyongyang.

According to Ethiopian News Agency, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi detailed in a statement to the board of governors, published on the agency’s website, that the new construction at Yongbyon appears similar to the Kangson enrichment plant. This development raises concerns due to North Korea’s existing uranium enrichment operations at Yongbyon and suspicions of an additional facility at Kangson, near the capital.

Grossi emphasized that the undeclared enrichment facilities at both Kangson and Yongbyon present a significant concern. The agency’s vigilance comes amid North Korea’s ongoing nuclear activities, which have previously drawn international scrutiny.

In related developments, North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported inspections by leader Kim Jong-un at a nuclear material production base and a nuclear weapons institute in September of last year and January this year. However, the locations of these facilities were not disclosed, leading to widespread media speculation.