CRITICAL

North Korean Nuclear Reactor Paused, Sparking Warhead Fears: Report

It may be a sign that Pyongyang is hoping to obtain weapons-grade plutonium.

North Korea has probably halted a nuclear reactor in order to begin reprocessing spent fuel rods to make weapons-grade plutonium, according to a report Thursday. The Donga Ilbo newspaper reported that an intelligence assessment from U.S. and South Korean authorities found that a reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex has been suspended since September. “South Korea and the U.S. believe this could be a sign of reprocessing work being done to obtain weapons-grade plutonium,” a government source told the newspaper. Reprocessing spent fuel rods taken out of a reactor is a step required before plutonium is extracted, which can in turn be used in nuclear warheads. “The possibility of a nuclear test by North Korea is not ruled out,” a senior government official told Donga Ilbo.