In 'deeply troubling' move, North Korea appears to have restarted plutonium-producing reactor

Kim Jong Un on a television screen.
(Image credit: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images)

North Korea appears to have restarted its Yongbyon reactor, which produces plutonium and was likely shut down in December 2018, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The International Atomic Energy Agency wrote in its yearly report on North Korea's nuclear capabilities that "since early July, there have been indications, including the discharge of cooling water, consistent with the operation of the reactor." There also appears to be evidence that a lab near Yongbyon is being used to separate plutonium from spent fuel previously removed from the reactor, the Journal reports. This is "deeply troubling," the watchdog agency said in its report, and in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.