The Yongbyon Reactor Restart and Biden ’s Fading North Korea Prospects

Eric GomezNorth Korea restarted a reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex according toa new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The reactor, which has been dormant since December 2018, produces plutonium for North Korea ’s nuclear weapons. The amount of plutonium the reactor will eventually produce is currently unclear, but a resumption of activity at the Yongbyon nuclear complex should not come as a surprise.North Korea has not been a major foreign policy concern thus far in the Biden administration ’s tenure. This is understandable given the administration’s efforts to end the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, the COVID-19 pandemic’s resurgence, and the lack of North Korean provocations. However, a lack of attention does not mean a lack of activity.A couple weeks before Biden ’s inauguration, Kim Jong Un made animportant report to the 8th Party Congress that set the priorities for his regime over the next several years. Kim ’s report mentioned several improvements to North Korea’s nuclear forces, including making better versions of capabilities that were already tested and developing new capabilities such as low‐​yield warheads. The reactor at Yongbyon and a nearby radiochemical laboratory represent the only publicly known facilities in North Korea that produce plutonium for nuclear weapons. A resumption of activity at the Yongbyon reactor is therefore a strong indicator that North...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs