North Korea Aims To Increase Uranium Enrichment Efforts

North Korea Aims To Increase Uranium Enrichment Efforts

Following the call of Kim Jong-un for the expansion of the nuclear arsenal of North Korea, the atomic energy agency of the North announced that it will restart its nuclear reactor and increase its uranium enrichment efforts.

The 5-megawatt reactor at the main nuclear complex in Yongbyon was the main source of fuel of the North, which was closed under a nuclear disarmament deal in 2007 with the US. Plutonium production at the reactor is believed to be enough for half a dozen bombs.

In addition to providing a plutonium source, the reactor will give North Korea a leverage that it can use in dealing with the US. In 2008, the North destroyed the cooling tower of a reactor to show that it was committed to the 2007 deal. The US State Department removed the country form the list of states that sponsor terrorism in response to this act.

However, differences in the nuclear inspections led to the unraveling of the deal. The North has since indicated that it will restart the reactor.

Washington is concerned that the uranium enrichment program will be used by North Korea a sustainable source of fuel for its nuclear bombs, something that the North has denied. Even with the threats from the North that it will launch attacks on the US and South Korea, no evidence was shown that military forces were being mobilized for an attack.

The response of the US was calculated even as it sent bombers for a flyover at the Korean peninsula. On the other hand, South Korean President Park Guen-hye ordered a strong and rapid response to any provocations from its northern neighbor.

Despite the subdued response of Washington, a missile defense ship of the Navy was moved close to the Korean Peninsula as part of its higher stages of alert against any rocket launches by North Korea.

The deployment followed a training flight by B-2 stealth bombers over South Korea as it conducted a mock bombing run. The US also plans to expand its missile-defense system at the Pacific Coast. Despite demonstrating its commitment for the defense of Japan and South Korea, Washington appears to be attempting to defuse the situation, which has gone further than previous provocations made by North Korea, which increased concerns of a full-blown war.

The aggressive statements of the young leader of the North bring to mind similar theatrical belligerence of Kim Jong-il, the father of Kim Jong-un.

Despite this, the South Korean president has still ordered the military to be prepared to respond to any provocations made by North Korea as the current threats are considered very serious by the South Korean president.

Posted by James Fried on Wednesday April 03 2013, 3:32 AM EDT. Ref: NY Times. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0