Korean Peninsula: Reports

2024

North Korea’s ELWR: Finally Operational After a Long Delay
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Victoria Cheng, and Spencer Faragasso January 23, 2024

2023

North Korean Nuclear Weapons Arsenal: New Estimates of its Size and Configuration
David Albright April 10, 2023

Underwater Nuclear Drone:  North Korea’s Nuclear Madmen
David Albright March 27, 2023

2020

Alleged Sanctions Violations of UNSC Resolutions on North Korea for 2019/2020: The number is increasing
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and Spencer Faragasso July 1, 2020

2019

56 countries[1] involved in violating UNSC Resolutions on North Korea during last reporting period
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Bernadette Gostelow, Maximilian Lim, and Andrea Stricker June 6, 2019

Part II:  Technical Note on Reaching a Denuclearization Agreement with North Korea
Institute for Science and International Security March 6, 2019

Technical Note on Reaching a Denuclearization Agreement with North Korea
Institute for Science and International Security February 25, 2019

Op-ed: How North Korea Can be Convinced to Give Up Nuclear Weapons
David Albright and Andrea Stricker January 30, 2019

2018

U.S. and Allies Should Hold out for Broad North Korean Declaration and Inspector Access
David Albright and Andrea Stricker October 11, 2018

Revisiting Kangsong: A Suspect Uranium Enrichment Plant
David Albright, with assistance from Sarah Burkhard October 2, 2018

Institute Statement on the Singapore Summit
Institute for Science and International Security June 12, 2018

Summary of North Korea’s Known Gas Centrifuge Program
Institute for Science and International Security June 12, 2018

Commercial Satellite Imagery Analysis for Countering Nuclear Proliferation
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and Allison Lach June 8, 2018

North Korean Reprocessing Campaign May Have Taken Place
David Albright and Sarah Burkhard June 5, 2018

Technical Note on a Timeline for North Korean Denuclearization
Institute for Science and International Security May 29, 2018

On the Question of Another North Korean Centrifuge Plant and the Suspect Kangsong Plant
David Albright May 25, 2018

Institute Statement on the Dismantlement of Punggye-ri
David Albright May 25, 2018

Verified Denuclearization of North Korea:  Mechanics and Prospects
David Albright May 14, 2018 Albright presentation

Understanding North Korea’s Nuclear Weapon Capabilities
David Albright May 9, 2018

Statement on Inter-Korean Summit
David Albright April 27, 2018

Chongsu Nuclear-Grade Graphite Production Plant? North Korea may be proliferating controlled nuclear goods
David Albright April 20, 2018

Continued Monitoring of the Yongbyon Nuclear Site
David Albright and Sarah Burkhard April 18, 2018

North Korea Continues Expanding Its Reactor Capability for Making Plutonium for Nuclear Weapons
David Albright and Sarah Burkhard April 5, 2018

52 Countries Involved in Violating UNSC Resolutions on North Korea throughout most of 2017
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Allison Lach, and Andrea Stricker March 9, 2018

On-Going Monitoring of Activities at the Yongbyon Nuclear Site
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and Allison Lach February 13, 2018

Evidence that the Yongbyon 5 Megawatt-Electric Reactor Remains Operational
David Albright and Sarah Burkhard February 2, 2018

2017

Countries Involved in Violating UNSC Resolutions on North Korea
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Allison Lach, and Andrea Stricker December 5, 2017

Note on the Question of Iran/North Korean Cooperation
David Albright and Andrea Stricker October 16, 2017

North Korea’s Nuclear Capabilities: A Fresh Look - with Power Point Slides
David Albright August 9, 2017 Power Point download

A Freeze of North Korea’s Nuclear Program: Finding a Definition More Fitting of Today’s Reality
David Albright June 13, 2017

U.S. Export Control Reform: Impacts and Implications for Controlling the Export of Proliferation-Sensitive Goods and Technologies, A Policy Document for the New President and Congress
Andrea Stricker with David Albright May 17, 2017

North Korea’s Nuclear Capabilities: A Fresh Look
David Albright April 28, 2017

Shenyang Machine Tools Company
David Albright April 13, 2017

North Korea’s Lithium 6 Production for Nuclear Weapons
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Mark Gorwitz, and Allison Lach March 17, 2017

2016

September 2016: Monitoring Activities at the Yongbyon Nuclear Site
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Allison Lach, and Samta Savla September 20, 2016

North Korea’s Suspect, Former Small-Scale Enrichment Plant
David Albright July 21, 2016

Plutonium, Tritium, and Highly Enriched Uranium Production at the Yongbyon Nuclear Site North Korea’s nuclear arsenal may be growing significantly
By David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini June 14, 2016

May 2016: Monitoring Activities at the Yongbyon Nuclear Site
David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini May 27, 2016

Case Study: Nuclear Traffickers Conspired to Procure High Speed Cameras
David Albright and Andrea Stricker May 19, 2016

April 2016: Monitoring Activities at Yongbyon Nuclear Site
By David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini April 29, 2016

Minor Activity at North Korea’s Nuclear Test Site
David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini April 25, 2016

Correlating the Operation of the Coal Plant to Reprocessing Activities at Yongbyon
David Albright, Olli Heinonen, and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini April 15, 2016

Government Official Raises Concern about Plutonium Separation at Yongbyon
By David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini April 5, 2016

March 2016: Movement at North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Site
By David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini March 23, 2016

North Korea’s IRT Reactor: Has it Restarted? Is it Safe?
By David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini March 9, 2016

Monitoring Developments at North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Site
By David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini March 4, 2016

Update on North Korea’s Reactors, Enrichment Plant, and Possible Isotope Separation Facility
By David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini February 1, 2016

Update of Key Activities at North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Site
By David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini January 13, 2016

From the Sky: North Korea’s 2016 Nuclear Test
By David Albright, Serena Kelleher-Vergantini, and Andrea Stricker January 7, 2016

North Korea’s 2016 Nuclear Test
By David Albright January 6, 2016

2015

North Korean Plutonium and Weapon-Grade Uranium Inventories
By David Albright October 7, 2015

Update on North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Site
By David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini September 15, 2015

Yongbyon: A Better Insight into the Status of the 5MWe Reactor
David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini April 29, 2015

Future Directions in the DPRK’S Nuclear Weapons Program: Three Scenarios for 2020
David Albright February 26, 2015

2014

Yongbyon: Monitoring Activities during Shutdown of 5 MW Reactor
David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini December 5, 2014

ISIS Note: Further Questions on Sanctioned North Korean Entity
David Albright and Andrea Stricker November 19, 2014

ISIS Response to South Korean Foreign Minister’s Comments on Yongbyon
David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini October 10, 2014

Yongbyon: Centrifuge Enrichment Plant Expands while 5 MWe Reactor is Possibly Shut Down
David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini October 4, 2014

Activities Detected at North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Site
David Albright, Serena Kelleher-Vergantini, William Baker, and Won Gi You August 6, 2014

On-going Activity at North Korea’s Punggye-ri Test Site
David Albright, Serena Kelleher-Vergantini, and Priscilla Kim May 10, 2014

North Korea’s Punggye-ri Test Site: Activities Continue on May Day 2014
David Albright, Serena Kelleher-Vergantini, and Priscilla Kim May 2, 2014

Activities Continue at North Korea’s Punggye-ri Test Site (revised May 1, 2014)
David Albright, Serena Kelleher-Vergantini, and Priscilla Kim May 1, 2014

Activities Continue at North Korea’s Punggye-ri Test Site April 29, 2014 (revised April 30, 2014, am)
David Albright, Serena Kelleher-Vergantini, and Priscilla Kim April 30, 2014

Activities Continue at North Korea’s Punggye-ri Test Site (revised April 30)
David Albright, Serena Kelleher-Vergantini, and Priscilla Kim April 30, 2014

Monitoring North Korea’s Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site
David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini April 26, 2014

Monitoring Activity at Yongbyon Nuclear Site
David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini April 23, 2014

2013

Increased Activity at the Yongbyon Nuclear Site
David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini December 5, 2013

In Response to Recent Questionable Claims about North Korea’s Indigenous Production of Centrifuges
David Albright and Olli Heinonen* October 18, 2013

Steam Venting from Building Adjacent to 5MWe Reactor: Likely Related to Reactor Restart
David Albright and Robert Avagyan September 11, 2013

North Korean Yongbyon nuclear center, August 31, 2013
Institute for Science and International Security August 31, 2013

Recent Doubling of Floor Space at North Korean Gas Centrifuge Plant : Is North Korea doubling its enrichment capacity at Yongbyon?
David Albright and Robert Avagyan August 7, 2013

Case Study - United States Busts Likely North Korean Transshipment Scheme
Andrea Stricker May 24, 2013

North Korean Miniaturization
David Albright February 13, 2013

ISIS Statement on North Korean Nuclear Test
David Albright and Andrea Stricker February 12, 2013

Monitoring Activity at Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site*
David Albright and Robert Avagyan February 3, 2013

2012

Challenges Posed by North Korea’s Weapon-Grade Uranium and Weapon-Grade Plutonium
David Albright and Christina Walrond October 24, 2012

North Korea’s Estimated Stocks of Plutonium and Weapon-Grade Uranium
David Albright and Christina Walrond August 16, 2012

Update on North Korean Light Water Reactor Construction Project
David Albright and Robert Avagyan August 14, 2012

Satellite Imagery of North Korean Nuclear Test Site Shows Growth in Pile of Material Near Test Shaft ; Unclear if Nuclear Test Will Follow
Paul Brannan April 10, 2012

Light Water Reactor Construction Progressing at Yongbyon Nuclear Site March 5, 2012

2011

ISIS Analysis of IAEA Safeguards Report on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from September 2, 2011
David Albright and Paul Brannan September 2, 2011

Additional Construction Activity at Yongbyon Nuclear Site
Paul Brannan June 10, 2011

New Satellite Image of Construction at North Korea Nuclear Site April 27, 2011

Disabling North Korea’s Uranium Enrichment Program
David Albright and Paul Brannan January 20, 2011

2010

State Department Cables: Stopping Iran’s and North Korea’s Illicit Procurement for their Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Programs December 10, 2010

Satellite Image Shows Building Containing Centrifuges in North Korea
David Albright and Paul Brannan November 21, 2010

New Satellite Imagery of Yongbyon Shows Construction Progress on Experimental Light Water Reactor November 18, 2010

Taking Stock: North Korea’s Uranium Enrichment Program
David Albright and Paul Brannan October 8, 2010

What is North Korea building in the area of the destroyed cooling tower?  It bears watching.
David Albright and Paul Brannan September 30, 2010

2009

No Reconstruction at the Yongbyon Reactor Site September 4, 2009

Case Study - Smugglers Assist North Korea-Directed Illicit Trade to Myanmar
David Albright, Paul Brannan and Andrea Scheel July 14, 2009

Commercial Satellite Imagery of Yongbyon Nuclear Site from May 26, 2009 May 27, 2009

Commercial Satellite Imagery of 2009 Nuclear Test Site in North Korea May 27, 2009

Pre-Launch Satellite Imagery of the North Korean Missile at Musudan-ri April 8, 2009

Commercial Satellite Image Catches North Korean Missile During Flight April 6, 2009

New Satellite Image of Musudan-ri Missile Site in North Korea April 2, 2009

Missile at Musudan-ri site in North Korea Visible in Commercial Satellite Imagery March 29, 2009

Satellite Imagery of the Musudan-ri Missile Site in North Korea: Version 2 March 27, 2009

New Satellite Imagery of the Musudan-ri Missile Site in North Korea March 26, 2009

2008

Slowly, but Surely, Pyongyang Is Moving
David Albright and Jacqueline Shire January 24, 2008

North Korea’s Plutonium Production Declaration: A Starting Point for an Initial Verification Process
David Albright, Paul Brannan and Jacqueline Shire January 10, 2008

2007

Disabling DPRK Nuclear Facilities
David Albright and Paul Brannan October 1, 2007

Phased International Cooperation with North Korea’s Civil Nuclear Programs
David Albright March 19, 2007

North Korea’s Alleged Large-Scale Enrichment Plant: Yet Another Questionable Extrapolation Based on Aluminum Tubes
David Albright February 23, 2007

The North Korean Plutonium Stock, February 2007
David Albright and Paul Brannan February 20, 2007

2006

ISIS Imagery Brief: North Korean Site After Nuclear Test
David Albright and Paul Brannan October 17, 2006

ISIS Imagery Brief: Suspected North Korean Nuclear Test Site
David Albright and Paul Brannan October 10, 2006

The North Korean Plutonium Stock Mid-2006
David Albright and Paul Brannan June 26, 2006

Dismantling the DPRK’s Nuclear Weapons Program
David Albright and Corey Hinderstein January 1, 2006

2005

September 11, 2005 satellite photos showing the 5MWe reactor at Yongbyon with a steam plume indicating that it is again operational and the construction site for the 50MWe reactor showing some new activity at the site. September 14, 2005

The North Korean Plutonium Stock Mid-2005 September 7, 2005

June 10, 2005 satellite images of the 5 MWe Reactor which appears to be not operating and the 50 MWe reactor prior to the reported restart of construction. June 10, 2005

Images of 5 MWe Reactor at Yongbyon Nuclear Site from January and April 2005 April 18, 2005

2004

South Korean Laser Isotope Separation Work: Open Source Scientific References October 5, 2004

The South Korean Laser Isotope Separation Experience
Mark Gorwitz, Special Contributor to ISIS Online October 5, 2004

Verifiable, Irreversible, Cooperative Dismantlement of the DPRK’s Nuclear Weapons Program
David Albright and Corey Hinderstein June 15, 2004

2003

Focus on the 50MWe Reactor October 15, 2003

Imagery Brief of Activities at the Yongbyon Site
Corey Hinderstein July 1, 2003 Prepared for a series of workshops in the summer of 2003

March 2003 Satellite Photos of Yongbyon Facilities March 1, 2003

Fast Facts - North Korea’s Current and Future Nuclear Weapons Capabilities
David Albright January 15, 2003

North Korea’s Current and Future Plutonium and Nuclear Weapon Stocks
David Albright January 15, 2003

2002

Sorting out conflicting reports of North Korean intentions November 18, 2002

2002 Images of Facilities at Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center March 1, 2002

North Korea: It’s Taking Too Long February 1, 2002

2001

Stay the Course on North Korea
Holly Higgins, Research Analyst March 7, 2001

Ensuring Nuclear Transparency on the Korean Peninsula: What is an Adequate Approach
David Albright January 1, 2001

2000

Secretary Albright’s Visit to North Korea October 20, 2000

1999

Light Water Reactors and Nuclear Weapons in North Korea: Let’s Be Fair With Our Comparisons
David Albright and Holly Higgins October 27, 1999

1994

North Korean Plutonium Production
David Albright September 1, 1994

How Much Plutonium Does North Korea Have?
David Albright September 1, 1994

North Korea’s Corroding Fuel
David Albright August 1, 1994

The North Korean Nuclear Program: Unresolved Issues
David Albright and Kevin O'Neill June 6, 1994

1992

Yongbyong Nuclear Site Ground Imagery May 1, 1992