North Korea seemes to have restarted reactor

January 28, 2017

US group: North Korea has likely restarted reactor

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170128_14/

A US research group says satellite imagery indicates North Korea has restarted operations at a reactor that produces plutonium for use in nuclear weapons.

The Johns Hopkins University team released the results of its analysis on Friday.

The team says imagery of the reactor in Nyongbyon on January 22nd shows a water plume coming from the reactor's cooling outlet, "an indication that the reactor is very likely operating."

The group says that a river that flows near the experimental reactor is mostly frozen over, except where the water released from the reactor mixes with the river.

The team said on January 18th that satellite images suggested North Korea may have been preparing to restart the reactor.

South Korea's Defense Ministry announced last August that the North had resumed reprocessing spent nuclear fuel to extract plutonium.

The ministry issued its 2016 white paper on January 11th, saying North Korea has some 50 kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium, up 10 kilograms from a 2014 report.