Activity at North Korea's main nuclear facility at Yongbyon has increased, possibly signaling the completion and commissioning of an experimental light water reactor (ELWR), Reuters reports citing satellite data from Washington think tank.
Images show that the 5MW reactor at Yongbyon continues to operate, and construction has already begun on an auxiliary building around the ELWR. In addition, the images show water leaks, which may be related to the cooling system inspection.
New construction work is also visible around the uranium enrichment plant in the same area. The plant's expansion likely reflects Kim Jong Un's recent order to increase the country's production of fissile material (a component of nuclear weapons) to expand its nuclear arsenal.
The DPRK's nuclear program dates back to the 1960s when the country signed agreements on cooperation with the USSR on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. At the same time, Pyongyang began building a research center in Yongbyon, where a 2MW Soviet IRT-2000 reactor was installed in 1965. In April 1985, the DPRK signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons(NPT), but in 2003 the country withdrew from the treaty, and in 2006 it conducted its first successful nuclear test.
Kim Jong Un called on the North Korean military to be ready to retaliate with nuclear weapons at any time during joint military exercises with the US in South Korea. On March 28, he ordered an increase in the production of materials for nuclear weapons. After that, the leader of North Korea emphasized that the development of nuclear potential is necessary to protect the country's sovereignty.
Comments (0)