by News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff
Commercial satellite images taken last week show infrastructure upgrades in Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center, monitoring group North 38 says
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The Yongbyon nuclear
plant in North Korea
Photo: Kyodo via Reuters
North Korea is upgrading its only known militarized nuclear reactor despite its pledge to the United States to pursue nuclear disarmament, satellite images showed Wednesday.
"Commercial satellite imagery from June 21
indicates that improvements to the infrastructure at North Korea’s
Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center are continuing at a rapid
pace," the 38 North analysis by monitoring group said on its website.
"Modifications to the 5 MWe plutonium
production reactor’s cooling system appear complete, but a
less-than-normal cooling water discharge from the outfall pipe makes a
determination of the reactor’s operational status difficult. The
status of the Radiochemical Laboratory – used to separate plutonium
from spent fuel rods – remains uncertain, although the associated
Thermal Plant has likely continued operations, and a small
non-industrial building of an unknown purpose has been newly erected
near the cooling tower."
CNES Space Agency via North 38
"Construction continues on support
facilities throughout other operational areas of Yongbyon, especially
at the Experimental Light Water Reactor, where the new engineering
office building appears externally complete and a small building
similar to the one observed at the Radiochemical Laboratory has been
erected," it said.
In his June 12 summit in Singapore with
U.S. President Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong UN committed
to "complete denuclearization," but no outline or deadline was set for
these efforts.
Earlier this year, North Korea announced
that its nuclear arsenal, which it claims includes intercontinental
ballistic missiles that can strike U.S., was complete. Pyongyang closed
its only known nuclear test site in May.
"Infrastructure improvements continue at
Yongbyon. Underscores reason why an actual deal is necessary, not just
a statement of lofty goals," Jenny Town, managing editor of 38 North,
tweeted.
The status of other areas in the Yongbyon
nuclear complex remains unclear, and experts cautioned linking
ongoing improvements to negotiations with the U.S., The Guardian
reported.
"Continued work at the Yongbyon facility
should not be seen as having any relationship to North Korea’s pledge
to denuclearize. The North’s nuclear cadre can be expected to proceed
with business as usual until specific orders are issued from
Pyongyang," the report said.
News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/06/27/north-korea-upgrades-nuclear-reactor-despite-us-%e2%80%8esummit-pledge/
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