Key Findings
- The Manpo Unha Factory is an important but little-known component of North Korea’s nuclear infrastructure as the prime supplier of various bulk chemicals to the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center.
- Among the chemicals reportedly supplied to Yongbyon is nitric acid, a crucial component to the chemical reprocessing campaigns conducted at Yongbyon’s Radiochemistry Laboratory for producing Plutonium-239 from spent fuel rods. Nitric acid also plays an essential role in the initial stages of the production of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) from yellowcake, which is used to produce highly enriched uranium (HEU) at Yongbyon.
- Aside from supporting the nuclear program, the Manpo Unha Factory has reportedly occupied a significant position in the research and production of liquid rocket fuel and chemical weapons at various times.
- The importance of the Manpo Unha Factory to North Korea’s nuclear, chemical, and ballistic missile programs is indicated by its ongoing development and several visits by the leadership.
- As the prime provider of chemicals to the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center, the Manpo Unha Factory would presumably have to be subject to declaration, verification, and dismantlement in any future final and fully verifiable denuclearization deal with North Korea.
This two-part report identifies the Manpo Unha Factory as the source of the specialized rail tank cars first observed at the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center during the early 2000s.
1 The first part introduces the Manpo Unha Factory and its connection to the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center, and the second part will discuss the development the Manpo Unha Factory and its surrounding area over time.
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