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posted by janrinok on Wednesday June 27 2018, @06:46PM   Printer-friendly
from the actions-not-words dept.

North Korea has continued to upgrade its only known nuclear reactor used to fuel its weapons program, satellite imagery has shown, despite ongoing negotiations with the US and a pledge to denuclearise.

Infrastructure improvements at the Yongbyon nuclear plant are "continuing at a rapid pace", according to an analysis by monitoring group 38 North of commercial satellite images taken on 21 June.

The cooling system for the plutonium production reactor has been modified and at least two new non-industrial buildings have been built on the site, possibly for use by visiting officials. A new engineering office building has been completed and construction has continued on support facilities throughout the complex, according to a blog post written by Frank V Pabian, Joseph S Bermudez Jr and Jack Liu.

"Infrastructure improvements continue at Yongbyon," Jenny Town, managing editor of 38 North, wrote on Twitter. "Underscores reason why an actual deal is necessary, not just a statement of lofty goals."

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/27/north-korea-nuclear-reactor-upgrades-summit-pledges


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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Thursday June 28 2018, @01:39AM (4 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday June 28 2018, @01:39AM (#699601) Journal

    It's a shame I had to scroll down so far to find a rational question. Improvements to infrastructure. Improvements to the cooling system. Does that necessarily mean that there have been upgrades to the reactor? Does any of that increase the capacity of the reactor? Do those offices increase the weapons potency of the end product? Or, on the other hand, does it indicate that Kim might be building the facilities to accommodate inspectors, and increase the safety of the reactor?

    Upgraded cooling. Japan is asking, "Why didn't we think of that?"

    Sulla's post earlier, that he didn't truly expect a whole lot, but he was "hoping above hope" is on target. I've not (yet) seen anything to shut hope down.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 28 2018, @03:54AM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 28 2018, @03:54AM (#699643)

    I just love the red blooded American suddenly bending over backwards to defend North Korea of all places, and all so this so-called American can bathe in libruhl tears and bow down to an orange racist.

    • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday June 28 2018, @03:08PM (2 children)

      by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday June 28 2018, @03:08PM (#699830) Journal

      Well, I do love me some libruhl tears. Please, come back and contribute something to the conversation, will ya?

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 28 2018, @04:10PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 28 2018, @04:10PM (#699866)

        I did, it was just a point you don't like. Conservative flip-flopping with denials it is happening are pretty important points for people to realize. "Bomb those evil commie Norkers!" 3 seconds later. "No, Kim is our friend who will disarm and play nice cause Trump is the BEST at making deals!"

        I know you say you don't like Trump, but then you bend over to defend him when there is evidence of improvements to the facilities AND a long history of NK (as you have pointed out so many times before) saying they'll comply and then doing whatever the fuck they want.

        It is a very good point, but one I think you're incapable of admitting is right.

        • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday June 28 2018, @05:25PM

          by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday June 28 2018, @05:25PM (#699910) Journal

          Nahhh, you're missing the point, so you're not making much of a point.

          The West has been stymied by North Korea for all of my lifetime. Not one single diplomat, or president, or congress, or prime minister, or parliament has made any headway at all with the Norks. It's been nothing but open belligerence, verbose hatred, and varying sorts of abuse thrown west-wards, and back east-wards. I have already echoed a previous poster's sentiments: I don't have any great expectations of this most recent overture towards peace - but I can hope.

          "evident of improvements to the facilities" you say. So, uhhhhhhhmmmmm - what do you require of the Norks? That they demolish their one, sole source of nuclear power? That plant is probably capable of producing more energy than all of the North's other electrical production. Why throw that away? Half of N.K. is already living on the edge of the stone age, the other half mostly in the bronze age, with some of the remainder in the iron age.

          IF Lil Kim is serious about moving his country out of the 100th century B.C. then he will need that electrical capacity. And, as others have pointed out, to switch over from wartime production to peacetime electrical production, the plant will need that added cooling capability.

          Maybe Kim is serious about peace, maybe he is not. I can't tell. But, the Orange Ape has him talking. How the hell else might we reach a peace agreement, if we aren't even talking?

          Bottom line, not talking for fifty years hasn't worked out very well. Let's talk for the next fifty years, and maybe that will work out better.

          You might revisit the quotes of Einstein. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.

          Let's NOT not talk and see how it works.