Nuclear Reactor in Yongbyon Still Operating

The IAEA delegation in North Korea said yesterday that the test nuclear reactor in Yongbyon is still operating, and that five nuclear facilities will be shut down according to the February agreement.

After coming back to Pyongyang from the visit to the nuclear facility in Yongbyon, IAEA Deputy Director General Olli Heinonen, who is also the chief delegate to North Korea, said yesterday to reporters, “I could see all the facilities that I wanted thanks to wonderful cooperation from North Korea.” He also said, “We inspected every facility that we planned to visit, including the fuel plant, the treatment facility, the five-megawatt nuclear reactor and the 50-megawatt nuclear reactor,” expressing his satisfaction.

He added, “The facilities were still operating. But it is not time to shut them down. Shutdown will happen in the future.” Asked how many nuclear facilities North Korea and the IAEA agreed to shut down, he answered, “I think about five will be shut down.”