North Korea's Kusong Suspected as Uranium Enrichment Site Amid Intelligence Dispute

North Korea's western city of Kusong has been suspected of housing uranium enrichment facilities, though it had not been officially recognized as such by South Korea or the United States until a recent mention. During a parliamentary committee session last month, South Korea's unification minister stated that Kusong, along with Yongbyon and Kangson, hosts uranium enrichment facilities.

The United States protested the remarks, stating they were based on U.S. intelligence, and partially suspended intelligence sharing with South Korea on North Korea-related matters.

about Kusong emerged in the mid-2010s.

A 2016 report by the U.S.-based Institute for Science and International Security cited the Panghyon Aircraft Plant in Kusong as a potential site for up to 300 centrifuges, based on information from a knowledgeable official. In a 2024 interview, a researcher at the RAND think tank mentioned the Yongdok district in Kusong as possibly containing a large-scale underground facility for uranium enrichment.

Uranium enrichment facilities use centrifuges to produce weapons-grade uranium and can be concealed underground, unlike plutonium facilities with visible reactors.

The Yongbyon nuclear complex in North Pyongan Province includes uranium enrichment facilities, reactors, and plutonium operations, estimated to hold a few thousand to nearly 7,000 centrifuges. The Kangson facility near Pyongyang is suspected of having several thousand to more than 10,000 centrifuges. Kusong is located 50 kilometers northwest of Yongbyon.

conducted a security investigation into unification ministry officials and determined that the minister's remarks did not involve leaking U.S. intelligence. On April 22, 2026, the unification ministry stated that the mention of Kusong was a comprehensive assessment based on publicly available information, including reports from the Institute for Science and International Security and media sources.

The ministry noted that similar references to Kusong were made during the minister's confirmation hearing in July of the previous year. The ministry also referenced a report by the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies on North Korea's nuclear activities, though a CSIS official later clarified that the report focused on high explosive test triggers, not enrichment at Kusong.