South Korea

Yonhap | English | News | Nov. 25, 2025 | North Korea

North Korea's Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center has been undergoing continuous modernization and expansion throughout 2025, according to commercial satellite imagery reviewed by the U.S. monitoring site 38 North. Yongbyon is crucial for North Korea's nuclear weapons program as the sole producer of plutonium and a significant site for uranium enrichment.

The uranium enrichment facility northeast of the radiochemical laboratory has been particularly active since early 2025. Recent developments include the completion of two support buildings' exteriors in the eastern part of the complex, the addition of concrete paving, and the installation of six heat exchangers along the southeast side of the main building. These heat exchangers are likely used to cool centrifuges and regulate temperature, indicating that interior work on the building is ongoing.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has emphasized the importance of overfulfilling production plans for weapons-grade nuclear materials and strengthening the country's nuclear defenses. The 5 MWe reactor at Yongbyon has been operating consistently since January 2025, while experimental light water reactor systems are undergoing preoperational testing. These activities align with North Korea's goal of greatly expanding its nuclear weapons arsenal.

Yonhap | English | News | Nov. 25, 2025 | UndeterminedMergers & Acquisitions

SK earthon Co., a South Korean oil exploration and production company, has acquired a 34 percent stake in the North Ketapang oil block in Indonesia from Malaysia's Petronas North Ketapang Sdn. Bhd. The North Ketapang block is located northeast of Java Island and the other stakeholders are Petronas North Ketapang, holding 51 percent, and Indonesia's state-run PT Pertamina Hulu Energi North Ketapang with 15 percent ownership.

This acquisition is part of SK earthon's broader strategy to expand its overseas E&P activities, particularly in Southeast Asia, aiming to establish Indonesia as its regional hub. The company already operates projects in Vietnam, China, and Malaysia. SK earthon anticipates business synergies with the experienced partners involved in the North Ketapang block.

Since 2022, SK earthon has been strengthening its E&P portfolio, including acquiring stakes in the Serpang and Binaiya oil blocks through Indonesian government auctions. The company’s overseas E&P projects have generated more than 1 trillion won (approximately US$716.6 million) annually. SK earthon is a wholly owned subsidiary of SK Innovation, South Korea’s leading refiner and an affiliate of the SK Group.

Joongang Ilbo | English | News | Nov. 25, 2025 | Critical Infrastructure Failure

A recent collapse at the Ulsan thermal power plant in South Korea, which resulted in nine casualties, may have been caused by the use of a cheaper and faster demolition method involving explosives, according to experts. The incident draws parallels to the 2016 Didcot A power station collapse in Britain, where poor safety management during predemolition led to four deaths. Explosives are commonly used for dismantling large power plant structures due to their ability to reduce both time and cost compared to conventional top-down methods.

Demolition reports reveal that using explosives at the Ulsan plant reduced dismantlement time from 285 days to 180 and cut costs from approximately 13 billion won ($8.8 million) to 3.2 billion won. However, this method carries increased risks, especially for older plants like Ulsan’s, which was built in 1981 and shut down in 2022. Structural fatigue and corrosion due to age and environmental factors make thorough integrity assessments critical before demolition, as any miscalculations can destabilize the structure.

Authorities have launched a joint forensic investigation, including raids at locations connected to the project owner Korea East-West Power, contractor HJ Heavy Industries, and subcontractor Korea Kacoh. Police and labor inspectors have secured documents to scrutinize whether safety evaluations and measures were adequately conducted. Concerns remain that structural assessments may have been superficial, potentially contributing to the collapse during predemolition work.