{"id":270982,"date":"2023-12-22T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2023-12-22T09:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hamslivenews.com\/?p=270982"},"modified":"2023-12-22T11:16:39","modified_gmt":"2023-12-22T11:16:39","slug":"second-north-korean-nuclear-reactor-appears-to-be-operational-iaea-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hamslive.com\/news\/2023\/12\/second-north-korean-nuclear-reactor-appears-to-be-operational-iaea-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Second North Korean nuclear reactor appears to be operational, IAEA says"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A\u00a0new reactor\u00a0at North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear complex appears to be operating\u00a0for the first time, the U.N. nuclear watchdog\u00a0and independent experts said\u00a0on Thursday, which would mean\u00a0an additional potential source\u00a0of plutonium for nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0new reactor\u00a0at North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear complex appears to be operating\u00a0for the first time, the U.N. nuclear watchdog\u00a0and independent experts said\u00a0on Thursday, which would mean\u00a0an additional potential source\u00a0of plutonium for nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n

North Korea has for years used spent fuel from a\u00a05-megawatt\u00a0nuclear reactor at Yongbyon to\u00a0produce plutonium\u00a0for its nuclear arsenal but a telltale discharge of warm water from a larger light-water reactor suggests\u00a0it is\u00a0coming online, too, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.<\/p>\n

“The discharge of warm water is indicative the reactor has reached criticality,” IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said in a\u00a0statement, meaning the nuclear chain reaction in the reactor is self-sustaining.<\/p>\n

The IAEA has not had access to North Korea since Pyongyang expelled its inspectors in 2009. The agency now observes the country mainly using satellite imagery. Without access, the IAEA\u00a0cannot\u00a0confirm the reactor’s operational status, Grossi said.<\/p>\n

The IAEA says it has observed a strong outflow of water from the light-water reactor’s cooling system since October, suggesting ongoing commissioning of the reactor. More recent indications\u00a0are that\u00a0the water was warm, Grossi said.<\/p>\n

“The LWR, like any nuclear reactor, can produce plutonium in its irradiated fuel, which can be separated during reprocessing, so this is a cause for concern,” he said, adding that the advancement of North Korea’s nuclear program was “deeply regrettable”.<\/p>\n

‘SURGE IN PLUTONIUM’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Researchers at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) in California also concluded the reactor is most likely operating, adding that it may be “a significant source of nuclear material” for the nuclear weapons program, which is banned by U.N. Security Council resolutions.<\/p>\n

In an April report, the D.C.-based Institute for Science and International Security estimated the light-water reactor “could allow a surge in plutonium quantities at an estimated rate of about 20 kilograms of plutonium per year, a rate four to five times larger than that of the small adjacent reactor”.<\/p>\n

That study concluded North Korea may have anywhere from 31 to 96 nuclear warheads, depending on the types of devices being built and which fuel is being used.<\/p>\n

News of the\u00a0reactor’s operation comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test this week showed his country would not hesitate to launch a nuclear attack if an enemy provokes it with strategic weapons.<\/p>\n

North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests; the last one was in 2017.<\/p>\n

Activity at North Korea’s nuclear test site at Punggye-ri has led to months of speculation that it could resume nuclear weapon testing as it seeks to miniaturise warheads for use in ballistic missiles.<\/p>\n

(REUTERS)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/div><\/div>\n\t\t