North Korea reactor work ‘nearing completion’

(BBC) North Korea is making "important" progress on reactivating facilities at its moth-balled Yongbyon nuclear reactor, a US think-tank says. Start-up could be one to two months away, it said, but there was uncertainty over the availability of fuel rods to power the reactor. Pyongyang vowed to restart the reactor, which makes weapons-grade plutonium, in April amid severe regional tensions.

 

The reactor was shut down in July 2007 as part of a disarmament-for-aid deal.The cooling tower at the facility was later destroyed, but then the disarmament deal stalled.

 

North Korea's decision to restart followed its third nuclear test on 12 February, which led to expanded UN sanctions.

 

Go to full article