North Korea is operating a new nuclear reactor at its main nuclear complex, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which warned that the country could produce plutonium, an element that can be used to make nuclear weapons – which could violate United Nations sanctions.
Key Facts
Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the IAEA, stated that the agency has observed an increase in activity levels at the light-water reactor in North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear research center since mid-October.
The UN-linked agency also noted a “strong” flow of warm water from the cooling system, indicating that the reactor has “reached criticality” – the point at which a nuclear reactor can maintain a chain reaction.
Like other nuclear reactors, the light-water reactor can produce plutonium in its radioactive fuel – or the fuel used in the reactor – which can be extracted during reprocessing, making it “a cause for concern,” according to Grossi.
The Wall Street Journal reported that plutonium was produced in a smaller nuclear reactor at the Yongbyon complex, but experts said the new light-water reactor could produce significantly larger quantities of the element, adding that North Korea may have been building nuclear weapons every year.
Despite its observations, the IAEA does not have access to the facility, and thus cannot confirm whether the light-water reactor is operational or assess its safety, with Grossi adding that nuclear safety is the state’s responsibility.
Grossi stated that North Korea’s construction and operation of the light-water reactor and its nuclear program development “is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and is extremely regrettable.”
The IAEA calls on North Korea to comply with its obligations under Security Council resolutions that urge it not to develop nuclear weapons, and requests that the country cooperate on a safeguards agreement that grants the agency the right to ensure there are guarantees regarding nuclear materials so they are not used to manufacture nuclear weapons or other explosives.
Stunning Facts
Plutonium is a chemical element created from uranium in nuclear reactors, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Plutonium-239 is commonly used with uranium-235 in the development of nuclear weapons and is a byproduct of nuclear reactors and nuclear bomb explosions.
Main Background
North Korea signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1985, but withdrew from it in 2003, considering it acted in self-defense against the United States, which it deemed the “most serious threat” to it. North Korea stated at that time that although it was withdrawing from the treaty, “we have no intention of producing nuclear weapons and that our nuclear activities at this stage will be limited to peaceful purposes such as electricity generation.” However, North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in 2006, and since then has carried out five more nuclear tests, with the last test occurring in 2017. Since the first test in 2006, the UN Security Council has issued several resolutions imposing sanctions on North Korea’s nuclear weapons development. The North Korean atomic research center was established in the late 1950s after two atomic energy agreements between North Korea and the Soviet Union, and its construction was completed in 1964. The center, which has been central to North Korea’s nuclear weapons research and development, was used to produce plutonium and also has a facility for uranium enrichment, according to the Associated Press. In a summit between former U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2019, Kim offered to dismantle the nuclear complex if the United States lifted its sanctions on North Korea, but Trump rejected the offer, stating that this move would not be sufficient as the country would still have access to already built nuclear weapons and other nuclear facilities, according to the Associated Press. According to U.S. government officials, North Korea has also conducted over 80 ballistic missile tests since 2022, which are prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions. Earlier this week, North Korea launched a third test of its long-range ballistic missile called Hwasong-18, which Kim claimed could reach the United States in response to any “wrong decision against it” by the United States, according to the Korean Central News Agency, as reported by the Associated Press.
Reading
Futuristic
North Korea appears to be seeking to increase its nuclear fuel production at its main nuclear facility, according to experts (Associated Press).
North Korea threatens to take “more hostile actions” against the United States after witnessing a powerful missile test (Associated Press).
It is important that international efforts continue to prevent North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and to maintain peace and security in the region.
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