Ministry of Unification: "ROK-US Closely Tracking and Monitoring North Korea's Yongbyon Nuclear Facility Developments"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] In response to claims that uranium and plutonium enrichment facilities at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear site are being reactivated, the government stated that it is "closely tracking and monitoring" the situation.

Lee Jong-joo, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, said at a regular briefing on the 14th that it is "difficult to confirm specifically" whether the Yongbyon nuclear site is being reactivated.

The spokesperson added, "Regarding North Korea's nuclear missile activities, including Yongbyon, we have been closely tracking and monitoring them based on close South Korea-US cooperation."

Earlier, Olly Heinonen, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center and former Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), claimed on the Voice of America (VOA) broadcast that uranium and plutonium facilities at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear site are being reactivated, based on satellite images taken on the 1st of this month. This claim was made because the snow on the roofs of areas including the uranium hexafluoride supply plant and control room, which are used to produce highly enriched uranium, had melted.

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