Former IAEA Deputy Director General: "Snow Melted on Roof of North Korea's Yongbyon Nuclear Facility... Signs of Operation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Satellite images have captured the melting of snow on the roofs of uranium and plutonium facilities within North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear complex, leading to analysis on the 14th that North Korea is operating the related facilities.

Olli Heinonen, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center and former Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated this based on satellite images taken on the 1st, during an interview with Voice of America (VOA).

The satellite images show melted snow in several areas of the Yongbyon uranium enrichment plant complex, particularly on the supply and control room areas where uranium hexafluoride is brought in and out for centrifuge installation to produce highly enriched uranium.

Heinonen said, "This area is heated only when the facility is operational," indicating a high likelihood that the Yongbyon uranium enrichment plant is currently active. He also added that snow had melted on support facilities involved in centrifuge assembly and adjustment, contamination removal, temperature maintenance, and electrical distribution.

He pointed out that continuous activity is also detected at the 5 MW reactor, which plays a key role in securing plutonium as well as uranium. Heinonen explained, "You can see snow melting first on the roofs and ventilation chimneys of the turbine building and heat exchange facilities," and "Similar phenomena are noticeable in buildings supporting reactor operations." However, he noted that snow remains on the roof of the spent fuel storage facility, likely because the fuel was depleted following reprocessing work last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.