North Korea may be close to completing new nuclear reactor: US think tank
- Satellite imagery indicated activity at North Korea’s main nuclear complex after leader Kim Jong-un ordered production of weapons-grade nuclear material be ramped up
- Officials in Seoul and Washington have warned since early 2022 that North Korea may conduct its seventh nuclear test
Satellite images indicate North Korea may be close to completing a new reactor in its major nuclear complex in Yongbyon, according to 38 North, a Washington-based website that tracks events in the country.
Construction crews are working on a support building at the site’s Experimental Light Water Reactor (ELWR) development and water discharges have been spotted near the ELWR’s pump house that could be associated with testing of the reactor’s cooling system, the website said, suggesting the ELWR “is nearing a transition to operational status”.
The images also indicated a five-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon continued to operate and new construction had started around the site’s uranium enrichment plant, likely to expand its capabilities.
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Raising the stakes: How North Korea became a nuclear state
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a facility producing nuclear bombs earlier this week and reiterated his order to massively expand the North’s nuclear arsenal. Kim said North Korea is ready to use nuclear weapons “anytime and anywhere,” the official Korean Central News Agency reported. His visit to the facility came as the nation carried out series of weapon tests including ballistic missiles designed to deliver a nuclear warhead.
The Yongbyon site’s existing 5 MWe reactor has been running since July 2021 and commercial satellite images from March show there’s new construction for the reactor’s spent fuel storage building, according to 38 North.
“Together, these developments seem to reflect Kim Jong-un’s recent directive to increase the country’s fissile material production to expand its nuclear weapons arsenal,” the website said.
Experts said the potential tactical nuclear weapons did indeed show key signs of technical progress, and could indicate an imminent nuclear test.