Seoul: Activity has been detected at North Korea’s main nuclear site, suggesting Pyongyang may be reprocessing radioactive material into bomb fuel since the collapse of a meet with Washington, a US monitor said on Wednesday. The possible signs of fresh reprocessing activity last week come after a February summit between US President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended abruptly without a deal on Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.
Since then North has said it was mulling options for its diplomacy with the US and Kim said last week he was open to talks with Trump only if Washington came with the “proper attitude”. The Center for Strategic and International Studies said satellite imagery of the Yongbyon nuclear site on April 12 showed five railcars near its uranium enrichment facility and radiochemistry laboratory.
“In the past these specialised railcars appear to have been associated with the movement of radioactive material or reprocessing campaigns,” the Washington-based monitor said. “The current activity, along with their configurations, does not rule out their possible involvement in such activity, either before or after a reprocessing campaign.”
