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China-Japan-Koreas
Evidence 'Conclusive' N.Korea Restarted Reactor
2013-10-03
A leading U.S. research institute says North Korea has clearly restarted an aging nuclear reactor it had begun to dismantle as part of an international agreement in 2007.

The U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University Wednesday said new commercial satellite imagery provides conclusive evidence that the plutonium reactor at Yongbyon is discharging hot wastewater into a river through a new drain pipe.

Last month, the institute reported signs that the antiquated Yongbyon reactor likely had begun operations, despite Russian warnings that doing so could lead to catastrophe on the Korean peninsula. At that time, Russian diplomatic sources described the reactor as in a "horrific state" of disrepair.
The Norks need plutonium, so they're going to make plutonium. It's that simple...
The new disclosure comes as U.S. experts met with North Korean officials to discuss resuming stalled international talks about Pyongyang's nuclear program. That London meeting came just hours after the United States and South Korea signed an agreement meant to provide greater deterrence against North Korea's nuclear weapons.

It was not immediately clear Wednesday how or if the new Yongbyon evidence will impact any future multi-lateral talks.
With Champ? Hardly at all...
The North originally shut down the Yongbyon reactor six years ago, under an aid-for-disarmament deal worked out under the six-party format.
Posted by:Steve White

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