S. Korea: DPRK restarts Yongbyon reactor

Email|Print|Comments       twitter     facebook     Sina Microblog     reddit    

South Korea's intelligence agency confirmed that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) restarted its mothballed Yongbyon nuclear reactor around two months ago, the Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday.

The five megawatt graphite moderated reactor, located 90 km north of Pyongyang, has been in operation since around August of this year, Yonhap quoted the National Intelligence Service (NIS) as saying.

It was reported that NIS on Tuesday informed lawmakers from the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee about this issue.

The reactor was used to produce plutonium and highly enriched uranium for the DPRK's nuclear weapons and before it was shut down under a deal made at the six-party talks in 2007, according to the reports.

Nuclear experts from the United States last month said satellite images indicated DPRK had restarted the five-megawatt reactor at its main nuclear complex in Yongbyon for several weeks.

The DPRK has not confirmed the reported resumption of nuclear activity yet.

• South Korea seizes Chinese fishing boats
• South Korea marks 65th Armed Forces Day
• S.Korea repeats call for DPRK to hold family reunion
• S.Korea reiterates call on DPRK to hold family reunion
• 1,409 passengers stranded on Chinese cruise liner back
• Stranded cruise guests flown home
• S.Korea, DPRK reopen Kaesong complex
• Park's Vietnam trip brings economic hopes, targets Japanese right
• Australia welcomes progress in diplomatic talks between DPRK, South Korea: FM
• S.Korea launches 4th 1,800-ton submarine

We Recommend

• 2013 Colour Me Rad 5K run held in Canada
• China's destroyer Qingdao sails out of Sydney Harbor
• Chinese tycoon aims to restore London's Crystal Palace
• A staple of southern Chinese people
• Typhoon Fitow approaches China
• Tourists take pictures beside Qinghai Lake in Xining
• New couples take wedding photos during holiday
• Serena Williams stumbles through to quarterfinals
• Thailand Mobile Expo 2013 kicks off