IAEA sees nuclear reactor activity in North Korea again: ‘Extremely concerning’

The International Atomic Energy Agency said that since the beginning of July 2021, indications have appeared, including the discharge of cooling water, consistent with the operation of the reactor. The agency described the development as “extremely disturbing” and a clear violation of United Nations resolutions.

The agency also believes that plutonium is being produced in the reactor complex. This is used, among other things, for nuclear weapons.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, these are the first signs of activity at the reactor since December 2018, a few months after US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Singapore.

International Atomic Energy Agency monitors were expelled from the country in 2009 by the North Korean regime. Since then, the International Atomic Energy Agency has been using satellite images to investigate the country’s nuclear facilities.

The nuclear center in Yongbyon was established in the 1960s. The now outdated facility was the crown jewel of North Korea’s nuclear program and for a long time the country’s only facility for making fissile material.