SEOUL, October 5. /TASS/. The South Korean and US intelligence have reportedly detected signs that North Korea has fully suspended a 5 MW reactor at its Yongbyon nuclear facility which may be related to the process of extracting plutonium for nuclear weapons, The Dong-A Ilbo reported, citing sources.
According to reconnaissance data from the United States and the Republic of Korea, operations of the reactor were stopped in late October. "The US and South Korean authorities believe it could be a sign of reprocessing work to obtain weapons-grade plutonium," a Seoul official told the South Korean newspaper.
Reprocessing involves shutting down the reactor for at least several weeks, removing the spent fuel rods and transporting those to a laboratory, The Dong-A Ilbo explained.
"We cannot rule out the possibility that North Korea will soon make a stronger provocation, such as a nuclear test, in an attempt to reverse the situation if there is no clear technical guarantee for the military reconnaissance satellite, which failed twice this year," the South Korean official added.
South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense commented on the newspaper report, saying that senior intel officials in South Korea and the United States are closely watching the situation.
The Yongbyon reactor was restarted in July 2021, the newspaper said. According to experts, six to eight kilograms of weapon-grade plutonium can be obtained annually from the spent fuel of the reactor. Last month, the Supreme People’s Assembly of North Korea amended the Constitution to strengthen and expand the country’s nuclear force, approving an accelerated weapons development program in order to guarantee the country’s right to exist.