South Korea Confirms North Has Restarted Yongbyon Nuclear Site
Source: Bloomberg
By Cynthia Kim and Andrew Davis - Oct 8, 2013
North Korea restarted its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, a South Korean lawmaker said, as the North put its troops on high alert and said it’s “ready to confront” the U.S. and the South over naval drills set for this week.
The National Intelligence Service informed lawmakers of the restart, ruling New Frontier Party lawmaker Cho Won Jin said by phone yesterday. Lawmakers were also told that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told his cabinet he plans to seek reunification with the South by force in three years, Cho said.
Running the reactor at Yongbyon would mean the North is making good on promises made in April to restart the facility as part of efforts to produce energy and improve its nuclear armed force. The United Nations Security Council has imposed strict sanctions on the North in a bid for it to return to negotiations and abandon its nuclear ambitions.
The finding backed up satellite-imagery analysis this month that indicated the North resumed nuclear activity there. The imagery from last month showed water being released into the Kuryong River from the reactor facility at North Korea’s main nuclear complex, according to the 38 North website, run by the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies in Washington.
Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-08/north-korea-ready-to-confront-u-s-south-korea-over-naval-drills.html
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