North Korea appears to have started operating a light-water reactor at its main nuclear complex in a possible attempt to establish a new facility to produce bomb fuels, the US atomic agency and outside experts said.
If correct, the assessment would show that the country has taken a step toward implementing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s repeated vows to build more nuclear weapons.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has observed increased levels of activity at and near the light-water reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex, and since mid-October, a strong water outflow from its cooling system, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said Thursday.
Photo: EPA-EFE via the Korean Central News Agency
The observations were consistent with the commissioning of a light-water reactor, or LWR, Grossi said.
“The LWR, like any nuclear reactor, can produce plutonium in its irradiated fuel, which can be separated during reprocessing, so this is a cause for concern,” he said. “I repeat that the further development of [North Korea’s] nuclear program, including the construction and operation of the LWR, is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and is deeply regrettable.”
Reent observations indicate that the water discharge seen in October is warm, an indication that the reactor has reached criticality, but without access to the facility, the IAEA cannot confirm its operational status, Grossi said.
The IAEA has not had access to Yongbyon or other locations in North Korea since 2009.
The agency has said it uses satellite imagery and open source information to monitor the North’s nuclear program.
Observers say light-water reactors are best-suited for electricity generation, but North Korea could adapt one at Yongbyon to produce plutonium for weapons.
Shin Jong-woo, a military expert at the Seoul-based Korea Defense and Security Forum, said that the Yongbyon complex is not used for producing civilian energy, so outsiders suspect the reported light-water reactor operation is related to the North’s nuclear weapons program.
“North Korea has talked about bolstering its nuclear strength and building more tactical nuclear weapons to be mounted on ballistic missiles. So [the light-water reactor operation] is suspected to be activities” to extract plutonium, Shin said.
Plutonium is one of the two key ingredients used to manufacture nuclear weapons, along with highly enriched uranium.
Yongbyon has long produced plutonium from its 5-megawatt reactor, and the light-water reactor would be an additional source.
Yongbyon also has a uranium-enrichment facility.
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