ID :
150484
Sat, 11/20/2010 - 15:00
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/150484
The shortlink copeid
Satellite images suggest N. Korea building light water reactor+
BEIJING, Nov. 19 Kyodo -
North Korea appears to be building what it says is an experimental light water
reactor at the country's Yongbyon nuclear complex, according to a report by a
U.S. think tank, citing new satellite imagery.
The image, taken Nov. 4 by U.S. imagery provider DigitalGlobe Inc., shows ''a
rectangular structure being built'' with ''at least two cranes visible,'' in
stark contrast to Sept. 29 imagery that showed ''only excavation,'' the
Institute for Science and International Security said in a report published
Thursday.
Along with speculation that North Korea is preparing for a third nuclear test
in North Hamgyong Province, the country may try to draw the United States into
negotiations over its nuclear capability as a bargaining chip, observers said.
The Washington-based institute quoted U.S. nuclear expert Siegfried Hecker,
co-director of the Center for International Security and Cooperation at
Stanford University, as confirming that the new construction seen in the
satellite imagery is for the experimental light water reactor.
Hecker and Charles Pritchard, a former U.S. special envoy for Korean peace
talks, said after a recent visit to North Korea that the country is building a
25-30 megawatt reactor at the Yongbyon site, about 90 kilometers north of
Pyongyang.
''The imagery shows that construction activity at the site of the destroyed
cooling tower for the disabled 5 megawatt-electric reactor is progressing,''
the ISIS report said.
In Yongbyon, North Korea blew up a cooling tower in June 2008 to show its
commitment to disabling its nuclear facilities under a six-party
denuclearization deal.
The ISIS estimates that a 25-30 megawatt light water reactor ''would require
several tons of low enriched uranium in the core and an order of 1 ton of LEU
per year as reloads,'' according to the report.
''These values could vary depending on the design of the reactor and whether it
will be optimized for electricity production or weapon-grade plutonium
production for weapons,'' it said.
Bringing together the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States,
the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programs have been stalled since
the last session in December 2008.
==Kyodo
North Korea appears to be building what it says is an experimental light water
reactor at the country's Yongbyon nuclear complex, according to a report by a
U.S. think tank, citing new satellite imagery.
The image, taken Nov. 4 by U.S. imagery provider DigitalGlobe Inc., shows ''a
rectangular structure being built'' with ''at least two cranes visible,'' in
stark contrast to Sept. 29 imagery that showed ''only excavation,'' the
Institute for Science and International Security said in a report published
Thursday.
Along with speculation that North Korea is preparing for a third nuclear test
in North Hamgyong Province, the country may try to draw the United States into
negotiations over its nuclear capability as a bargaining chip, observers said.
The Washington-based institute quoted U.S. nuclear expert Siegfried Hecker,
co-director of the Center for International Security and Cooperation at
Stanford University, as confirming that the new construction seen in the
satellite imagery is for the experimental light water reactor.
Hecker and Charles Pritchard, a former U.S. special envoy for Korean peace
talks, said after a recent visit to North Korea that the country is building a
25-30 megawatt reactor at the Yongbyon site, about 90 kilometers north of
Pyongyang.
''The imagery shows that construction activity at the site of the destroyed
cooling tower for the disabled 5 megawatt-electric reactor is progressing,''
the ISIS report said.
In Yongbyon, North Korea blew up a cooling tower in June 2008 to show its
commitment to disabling its nuclear facilities under a six-party
denuclearization deal.
The ISIS estimates that a 25-30 megawatt light water reactor ''would require
several tons of low enriched uranium in the core and an order of 1 ton of LEU
per year as reloads,'' according to the report.
''These values could vary depending on the design of the reactor and whether it
will be optimized for electricity production or weapon-grade plutonium
production for weapons,'' it said.
Bringing together the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States,
the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programs have been stalled since
the last session in December 2008.
==Kyodo
