North korea: North Korea is boosting its nuclear weapons-producing capacity, the chief of the UN nuclear watchdog said in South Korea on Wednesday.

According to Anadolu Agency, Rafael Grossi, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated during a press briefing in Seoul that the Yongbyon reactor's operations have seen a rapid increase. Grossi highlighted that this development indicates a significant enhancement in the nuclear weapons production capabilities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which is now estimated to possess a few dozen warheads.

The Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center, situated in Nyongbyon County, North Pyongan province, is the site of North Korea's first nuclear reactors and is located approximately 62 miles (100 kilometers) north of Pyongyang. North Korea, which conducted its first nuclear test in 2006, remains one of the most heavily sanctioned nations globally.

Pyongyang has declared its nuclear status irreversible and has not allowed IAEA officials to access its facilities since 2009. According to estimates from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, North Korea currently has around 50 assembled warheads.