Since mid-2009, North Korea has admitted it has a uranium enrichment program and implied that it will enrich uranium on a significant scale in the near future. After years of denial, North Korea mentioned its uranium enrichment program in public statements as tensions increased following its ballistic missile test in April 2009, its May 2009 nuclear test, and the subsequent imposition of United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korean trading entities. Despite its announcements, determining when it may produce significant quantities of highly enriched uranium (HEU) remains challenging. Although North Korea has not provided.
