The reactor supplies plutonium to Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.
In 2006, 2009 and 2013, Pyongyang announced successful nuclear tests.
How far is the nuclear program progressing?
Military vehicles carrying missiles during a parade in the capital Pyongyang in October 2010, on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Workers’ Party.
The Yongbyon complex is believed to be North Korea’s main nuclear facility.
Washington has never believed that Pyongyang completely stopped all nuclear-related activities.
In April, according to an American policy institute, satellite images taken since the beginning of the year showed many signs that the reactor in Yongbyon had returned to operation.
Yesterday, KCNA news agency quoted the director of the North Korean Atomic Energy Institute as saying `all nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, including the uranium enrichment plant and the 5 megawatt reactor, have been rearranged and changed.`
Both the US and South Korea believe that North Korea still has other unknown areas related to its uranium enrichment program.
According to experts, if Binh Nhuong conducts testing of equipment using uranium, monitoring their activities will face many difficulties compared to before.
How does the international community act?
North Korea used a three-stage rocket to put satellites into space in 2012. Photo: AFP
Many rounds of negotiations have taken place between North Korea, the US, Russia, China, Japan and South Korea to persuade Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
In September 2005, after more than two years of negotiations, North Korea agreed to a landmark deal, giving up its nuclear program in exchange for economic aid and other political concessions.
In early 2012, North Korea suddenly announced a halt to nuclear activities and issued a ban on missile testing if the US provided food aid.
The United Nations even increased sanctions after North Korea’s atomic bomb test in 2013.
Increased nuclear capacity?
North Korea made many firm statements about its nuclear capabilities after its 2013 atomic bomb test, according to BBC.
First, they confirmed that they had successfully `miniaturized` a nuclear warhead enough to fit on a missile.
Pyongyang also said that the atomic bomb in the 2013 test had an explosive yield many times greater than those in 2006 and 2009.
Some analysts believe it is very likely that in this `high-end` test, North Korea used highly enriched uranium to replace plutonium.
Hannah