North Korea Appears To Be Producing Plutonium For Kim Jong-Un’s Arsenal Of Nukes

17 Jul, 2017 by McIntosh

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Thermal images of North Korea’s nuclear research center has just been acquired by the U.S. and there is indication that they have increased production of nuclear material for Kim Jong-Un’s nuclear weapons reserve, according to a U.S.-based think tank.

Scans of the Radiochemical Laboratory at the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center unveil marked growth in thermal activity, suggesting more plutonium production. Researchers also perceived increased thermal activity, possibly stemming from centrifuge operations, at another facility devoted to uranium enrichment.

North Korea kicked their uranium enrichment up into high gear back in September, leading experts to reason out that the North could produce six nuclear bombs per year and the International Atomic Energy Association reported in March that North Korea has more than doubled the size of its uranium enrichment facility in recent years, which changed the pace and gives a push to the nuclear material production into a “new phase.”

Observers also detected possible activity at the Experimental Light Water Reactor, which according to experts on the matter, could be a “cause for concern.”

From The DC:

‘If the rogue state is processing plutonium and uranium, it is very likely the North Korean regime intends to expand its nuclear arsenal, a deeply concerning discovery given North Korea’s recent test of an intercontinental ballistic missile that some experts assess could strike the U.S., specifically Alaska, parts of the Pacific Northwest, and possibly even the West Coast.’

The good news is that the Isotope/Tritium Production Facility seems to look inactive for the time being, suggesting that North Korea is not producing tritium, a vital isotope used in the production of assisted yield nuclear weapons and also hydrogen bombs. While the facility is not presently operational, experts believe that North Korea does have the ability and resources to start pushing out tritium.

Siegfried Hecker, an American Nuclear scientist has read over the reports:

“I believe they have made tritium. They can make tritium so they have the basic element for a hydrogen bomb. But it takes much more than that to weaponize hydrogen bombs. I don’t believe they can do that.”