North Korea Reportedly Restarts Its Yongbyon Nuclear Reactor

I have figured that there is probably back channel talks going on and the firing up of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor to me is an indication of the Kim regime playing one of their cards. They can negotiate to shutdown the reactor and give the U.S. & the ROK a “win” in any agreement knowing full well they can just turn back on in the future at a time of their choosing:

The U.N. nuclear watchdog has detected “deeply troubling” indications that a key nuclear reactor at North Korea’s main Yongbyon complex has been in operation since July, including the release of cooling water, an annual report showed Monday.

Submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors on Friday, the report covered new developments of the five megawatt reactor, from which the North obtained spent fuel rods to extract plutonium — a fissile material used for a bomb — in the past.

The report based on satellite imagery and other sources came as Seoul and Washington push to resume dialogue with the North, following its furious reactions to the allies’ recently concluded annual military exercises.

Yonhap

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