US-based think tank 38 North has detected increased activity at North Korea’s main nuclear complex using satellite images. President Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called for increased production of “military nuclear materials”.
According to the 38 North organization, satellite images taken between March 3 and March 17 suggest that construction of a light-water reactor at the Yongbyon site is “nearing completion.” According to the same images, the construction of a building has begun, while a water leak from the cooling system was detected, indicating that the reactor “is operational”, the report of the reflection team describes.
The five-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon continues to operate, and new construction has begun around the site’s uranium enrichment plant, likely to increase its capacity. “These developments appear to reflect Kim Jong Un’s recent directive to increase fissile material production to develop his nuclear arsenal,” 38 North commented.
“Irreplaceable”
State media on Tuesday called for North Korea’s No. 1 to “exponentially” increase the production of nuclear weapons and increase production of “military nuclear materials.”
Experts say the tactical nukes signal North Korea’s technological advancement and preparation for its seventh nuclear test. South Korea and the US have been warning of another North Korean nuclear test since early 2022.
While the two allies have stepped up their joint military exercises, Pyongyang still carries out missile launches and tests, while Seoul blames it for regional security disruptions. The official KCNA agency condemned a series of joint drills by Washington and Seoul on Sunday, warning of North Korea’s “nuclear strike capability”.
North Korea’s military, which has ramped up its military exercises in recent weeks, said Tuesday it conducted a second test of what it described as an “underwater nuclear attack drone.” Although Pyongyang has called its status as a nuclear power “irreversible” by 2022, Kim Jong Un ordered its military this month to step up military maneuvers for “real war.”
read more: In Asia, a maddened arms race
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