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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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North Korea's nuclear program has ballooned "exponentially," the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog has said, as Pyongyang forges ahead with its extensive military buildup.
Why It Matters
North Korea has declared itself a nuclear weapons state, although it does not have this official recognition from the international community.
Read More on World
Pyongyang withdrew from the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003, and conducted its first nuclear test three years later. Trump's Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, warned last month that Pyongyang could be gearing up for its first nuclear test since 2017.
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What To Know
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Tuesday that North Korea's nuclear weapons program had grown "exponentially," but the international community had very little look-in at Pyongyang's activities.
North Korea has an estimated 50 nuclear warheads.
"You cannot have a country like this, which is completely off the charts with this nuclear arsenal…with such a big program—nuclear program—with all these facilities, without us having any clue of any safety or security measures which are being applied to it," Grossi said during an appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington D.C.
The U.N. has long leveled sanctions at North Korea designed to curb its weapons development, but the measures have been largely ineffective in heading off Pyongyang's programs. Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have maintained expert monitoring of the enforcement of sanctions on North Korea in March 2024.
The IAEA's inspectors were kicked out of North Korea in April 2009, when Pyongyang told the agency it was "immediately ceasing all cooperation" with the U.N. body, the IAEA said at the time.
The IAEA still has "a pretty good idea of what is going on," Grossi said. Pyongyang has built new nuclear site across the country since the agency left North Korea, including a possible third enrichment facility, he said.
Experts and officials suspect Pyongyang is receiving help with its ballistic missile and nuclear development from the Kremlin in exchange for support with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. North Korea has emerged as a major supplier of artillery shells and other munitions to Russia, and is the only nation outside of Moscow and Kyiv to have formally committed military forces to the war in Eastern Europe.
Earlier this year, Pyongyang unveiled what state media called "a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine" under construction.
North Korea successfully launched a spy satellite in November 2023, quickly saying it had captured "detailed" images of sensitive U.S. sites like the Pentagon, the White House, and facilities housing U.S. nuclear aircraft carriers.
Grossi has previously called for "proactive" engagement with the secretive nation, adding in an interview with The Associated Press in 2024: "We must open doors for dialogue."
Speculation had swirled around whether the Trump administration would seek to reopen channels of communication with North Korea, although experts warned that Pyongyang could be reluctant to accept U.S. overtures. President Donald Trump has so far not homed in on North Korea talks, prioritizing a ceasefire in the Middle East, a deal to bring fighting in Ukraine to a halt, and a nuclear agreement with Iran.
"I think he misses me," Trump said of Kim in July last year. He has since dubbed the North Korean dictator a "smart guy" and "not a religious zealot."
But Trump left a summit with North Korea focused on nuclear weapons in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, in 2019 without an agreement, souring relations with Pyongyang during the Republican president's first term in office.
"The way that unraveled stung the North Koreans," Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank, previously told Newsweek.
"Presidential diplomacy is important," Grossi said on Tuesday. "Engaging is indispensable."
The U.S. has also sought to bring Iran back into a binding agreement on its own nuclear development. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, while analysts warn Tehran is very close to the levels of uranium enrichment needed to make a nuclear weapon.
What People Are Saying
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday: "I know that for some—and I understand, I have great respect for them—it's only, 'They disarm or we don't talk.' Well, unfortunately, things are a bit more complicated in international life, and you're not going to get everything you want, especially when a country has acquired such a big nuclear arsenal."
What Happens Next
As yet, there have been no formal announcements concerning future talks between Washington and Pyongyang.
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