North Korea: A US think tank has reported that satellite images show a high level of activity at North Korea’s main nuclear site. The report comes after the North Korean leader Mr. Kim Jong-un ordered an increase in the production of bomb fuel to expand the country’s nuclear arsenal.

The Washington-based 38 North North Korea Monitoring Project remarked that the activity it had spotted, based on images from March 3 and 17, could indicate that an Experimental Light Water Reactor (ELWR) at the Yongbyon site was nearing completion and transitioning to operational status.

According to the report, the images showed that a 5-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon continued to operate and that construction had started on a support building around the ELWR. Furthermore, water discharges had been detected from that reactor’s cooling system. New construction had also started around Yongbyon’s uranium enrichment plant, likely to expand its capabilities.

“These developments seem to reflect Kim Jong Un’s recent directive to increase the country’s fissile material production to expand its nuclear weapons arsenal,” the report added, referring to the North Korean leader.

Recently, North Korea unveiled new, smaller nuclear warheads and vowed to produce more weapons-grade nuclear material to expand its arsenal, while denouncing the military exercises by South Korea and the United States.

According to reports, Mr. Kim had ordered the production of weapons-grade materials in a “far-sighted way” to boost the country’s nuclear arsenal “exponentially.”

Since early 2022, South Korea and the United States have warned that North Korea may resume nuclear testing at any time.

WORLD ROUNDUP: Amnesty raises concern over India’s search of new surveillance technology to replace Pegasus