According to a report citing a government source, North Korea has taken the step of suspending the operation of the nuclear reactor at its primary atomic complex. This pause is likely intended to facilitate the extraction of plutonium, which could potentially be used for weapons through the reprocessing of spent fuel rods.
In addition to its nuclear reactor, North Korea has also been known to operate uranium enrichment facilities, which serve as an alternate source of material that could be utilized in the development of nuclear weaponry.
While the report hints at the possibility of North Korea conducting a nuclear test, it does not provide further details on the specific analysis or intelligence that led to this assessment.
As of now, South Korea's foreign ministry and defense ministry have not issued immediate comments in response to the report.
It is worth noting that North Korea has previously suspended and subsequently resumed the operation of its nuclear reactor. Typically, there is no official confirmation available regarding the precise purpose of such actions, whether they are for routine maintenance or fuel extraction.
North Korea has asserted its status as a nuclear state, although it has maintained secrecy regarding the actual number of nuclear weapons it may have constructed or deployed. Independent estimates have suggested that North Korea could possess as much as 70 kilograms of plutonium, potentially sufficient to produce 20 or more nuclear weapons.
North Korea has conducted a total of six underground nuclear tests, raising concerns since the previous year that it might be preparing for another test as part of an initiative to develop miniaturized nuclear warheads.
Recently, North Korea's parliament introduced a constitutional amendment concerning its nuclear force policy. Moreover, leader Kim Jong Un has intensified calls for the country to increase its production of nuclear arms and diversify its nuclear capabilities.
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