North Korea’s new nuclear reactor likely fully operational next summer: Seoul

SEOUL: A new reactor at North Korea´s main nuclear facility will likely be fully operational by next summer, Seoul´s defence minister said, a week after the UN atomic agency called it a “cause for concern”.

Shin Won-sik told local media on Thursday that the new reactor at North Korea´s Yongbyon nuclear complex appears to be in a “trial operation” stage and that it is expected to be fully operational next summer.

The defence ministry confirmed Shin´s comments on Friday.

Yongbyon is home to North Korea´s only other nuclear reactor, with a five-megawatt capacity, which has been its sole known source of plutonium -- a primary material for nuclear weapons.

Rafael Grossi, head of the UN atomic agency, said in a statement last week that the new light-water reactor appeared to be operational and capable of producing plutonium. “This is a cause for concern,” he said.

Shin noted that while no country has used light-water reactors to produce weapons-grade plutonium, Pyongyang could potentially use the new reactor to produce tritium for hydrogen bombs or to conduct tests for developing small nuclear reactors used in nuclear-powered submarines.