NK continues operations in Yongbyon, but there are no clear signs of a spent fuel transfer: 38 North

This photo, taken from the 38th north on Saturday, shows satellite imagery of the North Korean nuclear complex Yongbyon. (38 North)

North Korea appears to be continuing its activities at its Yongbyon nuclear complex, but no clear evidence has been found as to whether spent fuel rods have been transferred from the plutonium production facility, according to a US think tank.

On the monitoring website 38 North, the assessment was made on Friday based on the most recent satellite imagery. It was also found that minor activity was detected at the site’s uranium enrichment facility while construction of a new wing of a laboratory building continued.

“The coal-fired power station that supplies the RCL with steam has been in continuous operation since early March, although the cloud of smoke is a little less on the latest satellite imagery,” said 38 North. RCL stands for the Radiochemical Laboratory.

The think tank said the information provided was “insufficient to definitively determine whether a new reprocessing campaign is underway or whether the activity is simply related to the processing of radioactive waste from previous campaigns”.

However, continued construction through the north of a new wing of one of the laboratory buildings and the expansion of other facilities shows that Pyongyang is “determined to continue its research and improve its skills at the Yongbyon Complex,” it said. (Yonhap)