North Korea Nears ICBM, Has Uranium for 47 Bombs

South Korean officials say North Korea operates four uranium-enrichment sites, including Yongbyon, with centrifuges running daily and an assessed stockpile of about 2,000 kg of highly enriched uranium. At roughly 90% purity that would be weapons-grade and, by IAEA estimates, enough for about 47 nuclear weapons if converted to warheads. President Lee Jae Myung warned Pyongyang is at the 'final stage' of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States, with atmospheric re-entry technology the remaining major challenge. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered a rapid expansion of the nuclear programme and said the weapons will not be used as a bargaining chip in response to U.S. overtures. Seoul says stopping the programme is urgent, argues sanctions alone will be ineffective, and is calling for renewed summit diplomacy with Washington as regional and global security risks grow.