IAEA "북한, 영변 원자로 재가동한 듯"…핵원료 생산 우려
North Korea appears to have resumed its sole plutonium-producing reactor, a move that could enable the regime to expand its arsenal of nuclear weapons .
If confirmed, it would be the first time it has been rebooted in two-and-a-half years.
Kim Dami reports.
North Korea appears to have restarted operations at its Yongbyon nuclear reactor that produces plutonium, a key material used in the production of nuclear bombs.
Based on a report released by the International Atomic Energy Agency, there have been indications since early last month, including the discharge of cooling water, which is consistent with the operation of a reactor.
The Yongbyon reactor appeared to have been inactive from December 2018 until the beginning of July this year.
The report added that signs the reactor is now being operated coincide with indications that Pyeongyang is also using a nearby lab to separate plutonium from spent fuel rods previously removed from the reactor.
The IAEA called the latest developments (quote)"deeply troubling," and a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions on the North.
Noting that nothing has been confirmed yet, Seoul's unification ministry said Monday that the South Korean government is continuously monitering the North's nuclear activities in close cooperation with the U.S.
However, the regime's move - if confirmed - would create yet another foreign policy headache for the Biden administration, on top of its widely-criticized handing of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the deadlock on restoring the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
During a visit to Seoul last week, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, stressed Washington has no hostile intent toward the North and urged the regime to return to dialogue.
The Yongbyon reactor has been regarded as the crown jewel of North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
Constructed in 1979, it supplied the plutonium and research facilities needed for the North to test its first atomic bomb in 2006.
Kim Dami, Arirang News.
#NorthKorea #Nuclear_Reactor #Yongbyon
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2021-08-30 12:00 (KST)
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