IAEA Secretary-General Detects Signs of North Korea's Possible Plutonium Separation

Rafael Grossi, IAEA Director General
Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated on the 7th (local time) that signs have been detected indicating the possibility of reprocessing activities to separate plutonium necessary for nuclear weapons production from spent reactor fuel in North Korea.

According to major foreign media, Director General Grossi said at a regular board meeting attended by 35 countries that steam continues to be emitted from a power plant supporting North Korea's reprocessing laboratory.

He explained, "Since the statement I made at the March board meeting, the thermal power plant supporting the radiochemical laboratory has continued to operate," adding, "The operating period corresponds to the time required for reprocessing activities at the radiochemical laboratory." However, he added, "It is impossible to confirm that reprocessing is actually taking place."

Director General Grossi also reported that there are no signs that the 5MW (megawatt) reactor in Yongbyon has been operational over the past three months.

Previously, the IAEA had indicated the possibility that the Yongbyon reactor had been shut down since December 2018.

However, Grossi mentioned that there are "signs of ongoing activities" related to the facility in Kangson, where uranium enrichment is suspected. He had also raised the possibility in September last year that North Korea might be enriching uranium in Kangson, near Pyongyang.

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