Sulgiye Park

Union of Concerned Scientists

Zoom link: https://mit.zoom.us/j/98987475871

Abstract

North Korea is rapidly developing its nuclear arsenal and military capabilities. The ongoing missile testing and increased activities at the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center—the main hub for North Korea’s nuclear program—suggest that it remains committed to advancing and continuing its nuclear weapons program. This commitment aligns with Kim’s statement at the end of 2022 to “exponentially increase the country’s nuclear arsenal,” and to expand the production of weapons-grade nuclear materials. Since the production of these fissile materials is often the bottleneck in nuclear weapons production, it is imperative to understand North Korea’s capacity for producing fissile materials. This work examines the technical capacities that underpin Kim’s remarks on exponentially increasing North Korea’s nuclear arsenal by examining ongoing operations at Yongbyon and providing an independent analysis of potential plutonium production.

Bio

Sulgiye Park is a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, where she specializes in North Korea and China’s nuclear fuel pathway. She received her Ph.D. in Geological Sciences at Stanford University, where her work focused on the behavior of nuclear materials under extreme environments. After her Ph.D., she worked at the Stanford Institute of Materials and Energy Sciences (SIMES) as a materials scientist, where her work involved fabricating nanodiamonds for various technological applications. She was a recipient of a Jamieson Award for her work at SIMES. Dr. Park then received a Stanton and MacArthur Nuclear Security Fellowships at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). At CISAC, she worked on various projects, including looking at the front end of North Korea’s fuel cycle, monitoring North Korea and China’s economic trade activities, as well as examining the regulatory framework on nuclear waste management, particularly concerning advanced nuclear reactors.