The 38 North North Korea monitoring organization in Washington, DC, reported finding signs of progress on an Experimental Light Water Reactor (ELWR) at the Yongbyon facility, based on photos taken on March 3 and March 17.
According to the report, the photos confirmed that a 5-megawatt reactor was still active at Yongbyon and that work had begun on a support structure surrounding the ELWR, per a CNA report.
In addition, leaks in the reactor's cooling system have been spotted and there were new works seen in the area surrounding the uranium enrichment plant at Yongbyon. These suggest that the facility will be upgraded soon.
The report elaborated, referring to North Korea's leader, such advancements appear to mirror Kim Jong Un bomb fuel order to accelerate "the country's fissile material production to expand its nuclear weapons arsenal."
North Korea Steadfast in Nuclear Weapons Development
Small nuclear warheads, which North Korea claims may be mounted on medium- and short-range missiles, have been made public.
For a long time, Pyongyang has insisted that it has nuclear weapons that are both tactical and capable of reaching South Korean targets.
On Tuesday, Pyongyang published proof of North Korea's nuclear weapons in its official media.
It is hard to tell whether or not they are genuine, though. We can only speculate until North Korea conducts a test of one of these weapons.
Pyongyang has spent the previous two weeks practicing nuclear strikes on Seoul while launching a volley of what it claims are nuclear-capable missiles, according to the BBC.
The results of individual tests may not grab as much attention as they formerly did, but taking a comprehensive look at them reveals important trends and insights.
The United States and South Korea conduct joint military exercises, practicing how to overcome North Korea in the event of an assault. Pyongyang claims it the allies are retaliating.
Ellen Kim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies sees the current North Korea nuclear situation as "equivalent of a fashion show, which also worried her and fellow analysts about the lack of cohesion in the North Korea nuclear weapons collections shown so far.
Kim Jong Un Sister Blasts Ukraine Call To Host Nukes
Meanwhile, Kim Yo Jong, the strong sister of leader Kim Jong Un, has accused Ukraine of pushing for nuclear weapons, official broadcaster KCNA claimed on Saturday.
She based her accusation on an online petition in Ukraine that has garnered less than 1,000 signatures thus far,
Kim Yo Jung said, without providing proof, that this kind of petition may be a political scheme by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's administration, Reuters reported.
On Thursday, a petition was posted to the website of the Ukrainian presidential office, demanding that the country either host nuclear weapons on Ukrainian territory or be armed with its nuclear weapons in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's plan to position tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which he announced last week.
The petition only had 611 signatures as of Saturday afternoon, much below the 25,000 threshold necessary to get a reaction from Zelenskiy. Kyiv authorities have not responded to the petition as of present writing.
Notwithstanding their isolation, Pyongyang and the Kremlin are developing closer ties. North Korea backed Moscow's position in the Russia-Ukraine war.
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