N. Korea Reactivates Nuclear Reactor

North Korea restarted its Youngbyon nuclear reactor, whose operation had been put on hold due to the 1994 arms control accord with the United States, confirmed a Bush administration official on Wednesday.

Insisting anonymity, the official said, "North Korea resumed operation of the 5MW reactor in Youngbyon on Feb. 25th and 26th."

In the meanwhile, Japanese newspapers reported that the US spy satellites observed, a couple of weeks ago, white smoke coming out of a building in Youngbyon which accommodates the reactor. Again on Wednesday, the satellites detected, with the infrared sensor, radiation from the reactor itself and the temperature of the whole building rising subtly.

But major US newspapers denied that the reprocessing facility, a direct link to production of nuclear weapons, has been reactivated in any way.

Bush administration officials say that reactivation of the nuclear reactor poses less concern than that of the reprocessing facility. They, however, voice worry that the reactivation seems to indicate North Korea`s intention of pressuring the United States and pushing ahead with development of nuclear weapons.

"We pursue a peaceful diplomatic solution. But we have all options on our desk," said the White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean McCormack

In the meanwhile, the State Department spokesperson commented that the latest move by North Korea is yet another provocation against the international community and an act that could bring about its isolation.

Major western media including The Financial Times and The Times paid attention to the reactivation of the North Korean reactor, since the reactivation came at a sensitive time when a new president took office in South Korea and US State Secretary Colin Powell is traveling in Asia.

The United States believes that North Korea could produce five to six nuclear warheads within several months using the 8,000 spent fuel rods. It also estimates that, by restarting the 5MW reactor, North Korea could produce approximately 5.85kg of plutonium, which is enough to develop one nuclear bomb.

Despite North Korea`s claim that the reactivation was for relieving the energy shortage, the United States officials refuted the claim and said, "The 5MW reactor does not have a capacity to relieve the shortage. The real intent lies somewhere else."

maypole@donga.com sechepa@donga.com