North Korea still building at its nuclear site: 38 North
Washington, June 27 (IBNS): Despite declaring a denuclearisation of the Peninsula during the recently held summit in Singapore, North Korea is still carrying out rapid improvements to its nuclear research facility, claimed a monitor on Wednesday.
"Commercial satellite imagery from June 21 indicates that improvements to the infrastructure at North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center are continuing at a rapid pace," said 38 North website.
"Modifications to the 5 MWe plutonium production reactor’s cooling system appear complete, but a less-than-normal cooling water discharge from the outfall pipe makes a determination of the reactor’s operational status difficult," reported 38 North website.
"The status of the Radiochemical Laboratory—used to separate plutonium from spent fuel rods—remains uncertain, although the associated Thermal Plant has likely continued operations, and a small non-industrial building of an unknown purpose has been newly erected near the cooling tower,"the website claimed.
"Construction continues on support facilities throughout other operational areas of Yongbyon, especially at the Experimental Light Water Reactor (ELWR), where the new engineering office building appears externally complete and a small building similar to the one observed at the Radiochemical Laboratory has been erected," it said.
"Continued work at the Yongbyon facility should not be seen as having any relationship to North Korea’s pledge to denuclearize. The North’s nuclear cadre can be expected to proceed with business as usual until specific orders are issued from Pyongyang," the website further said.
Trump sanctions N Korea for posing 'extraordinary threat':
Following US President Donald Trump's recent meeting with Kim Jong-un, Trump had dismissed any further threat from North Korea.
Yet, on Friday, his office said that the Asian nation still poses extraordinary threats and must be sanctioned.
It followed the cancelled military drills between South Korea and the USA.
Trump extended the rule while citing "the existence and risk of proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula and the actions and policies of the Government of North Korea".
Kim and Trump met In Singapore this month.
Image: twitter.com/Scavino45
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