IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency, is now warning that North Korea may have restarted a nuclear reactor, signaling that the communist nation might once again pursue the creation of nuclear weapons.
North Korea’s timing on this is perfect because there’s not enough chaos in the world right now.
Mychael Schnell reports at The Hill:
Watchdog sees signs North Korea has restarted nuclear reactorAn international watchdog says there are signs indicating North Korea has restarted a nuclear reactor that is used to produce fuel for weapons.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wrote in its annual report, dated Friday, that there have been “indications” at the Yongbyon Experimental Nuclear Power Plant in North Korea that are “consistent with the operation of the reactor,” including the discharge of cooling water.Those indications have been seen since early July, according to the report. The agency said it did not observe any indications that the reactor was operating from early December 2018 to the beginning of last month.
Hyung Jin-Kim of the Associated Press has more:
The report said there were indications of the operation of Yongbyon’s radiochemical laboratory from mid-February to early July this year. It said this period of operation is consistent with previous reprocessing campaigns announced by North Korea of irradiated fuel discharged from the reactor. The laboratory is a facility where plutonium is extracted by reprocessing spent fuel rods removed from reactors.“(North Korea’s) nuclear activities continue to be a cause for serious concern. Furthermore, the new indications of the operation of the 5-megawatt reactor and the radiochemical laboratory are deeply troubling,” the IAEA said.The IAEA has not had access to Yongbyon or other locations in North Korea since the country kicked out IAEA inspectors in 2009. The agency said it uses satellite imagery and open source information to monitor developments in North Korea’s nuclear program.The Yongbyon complex also produces highly enriched uranium, the other key nuclear fuel. The IAEA report said “there were indications, for a period of time, that the reported centrifuge enrichment facility was not in operation” though regular vehicular movements were observed.
Here’s a concise video report from CBS News:
After Joe Biden’s performance over the last two weeks, Americans may be a bit more concerned about this development than usual.
Featured image via YouTube.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY