North Korea has restarted a nuclear reactor widely believed to be capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium, according to a report from the global nuclear watchdog released Sunday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it had first spotted activity at the 5-megawatt Yongbyon plant north of the capital, Pyongyang, in late 2018 and had seen new signs of activity in recent weeks.
“Since early July 2021, there have been indications, including the discharge of cooling water, consistent with the operation,” according to the report, which is issued annually and was released Sunday.
It added that the country’s nuclear activities continue to be a cause for serious concern.”
Scientific reports and independent analysis have said Yongbyon is capable of producing multiple kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium in a year.
North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has long been vocal about his nuclear ambitions, saying in January that he would seek “completely new nuclear capabilities aimed at attaining the goal of modernization of the nuclear force.” Last year, he spoke of developing a “new strategic weapon.”
According to the report, there have been five North Korean nuclear tests since 2006, most recently in 2017, when the U.N. Security Council demanded that the country immediately abandon its nuclear program in a “complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.”
While inspectors haven’t had access to North Korea since 2009 and have to rely on commercial satellite imagery to make their assessments, the new IAEA report made clear Kim’s regime has not followed the Security Council’s instruction.
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