SEOUL: South Korea’s defense minister claimed on Friday that North Korea’s main nuclear complex’s light-water reactor is expected to be formally operational by next summer, raising concerns about its potential use as a source of fissile materials for nuclear weapons.
Recent suspicions deepened as the UN atomic agency and foreign experts noted signs indicating the operational status of North Korea’s light-water reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi expressed concern about increased activity and water outflow, highlighting the potential production of plutonium, a key ingredient for nuclear weapons.
Defense Minister Shin Wonsik revealed that South Korea had observed similar cooling system-related activities last summer, indicating the reactor’s trial operation stage. He expects it to be officially operational around next summer.
While North Korea traditionally produced weapons-grade plutonium from its 5-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon, the light-water reactor presents an additional concern due to its potential to produce more plutonium. There are questions about its reported operation, as light-water reactors are typically used for electricity generation. However, observers suggest North Korea could adapt it for weapons-grade plutonium production.
The US Mission to the UN in Vienna expressed serious concerns on Twitter, emphasizing North Korea’s unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs as a threat to international peace and security. Grossi highlighted that the North’s operation of the light-water reactor violates UN Security Council resolutions.
The IAEA and foreign governments rely on satellite imagery to monitor activities in North Korea, as the country expelled IAEA inspectors in 2009. Estimates on North Korea’s nuclear arsenal range from 20-60 to over 100, with experts suggesting an addition of six to 18 bombs annually.
Despite failed diplomacy with the US since 2019, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to expand the nuclear arsenal, using it as leverage for sanctions relief when diplomacy resumes. In response to a recent ICBM test, the US, South Korea, and Japan called for full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions on North Korea.
