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North Korea 'restarts plutonium reactor' North Korea nuclear: Plutonium reactor 'restarted'
(35 minutes later)
North Korea has restarted a plutonium reactor and could have stockpiles in weeks, US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has said. North Korea has restarted a plutonium production reactor that could provide a stockpile for nuclear weapons, US intelligence chief James Clapper says.
He also said the North had taken steps towards making an intercontinental ballistic missile system.
It comes days after the North launched a long-range rocket, which critics say is a test of banned missile technology.It comes days after the North launched a long-range rocket, which critics say is a test of banned missile technology.
The US, South Korea and even China say the rocket launches are aimed at developing inter-continental ballistic missiles. Last September Pyongyang said its main nuclear facility at Yongbyon had resumed normal operations.
North Korea has carried out several nuclear tests in the past. The reactor there has been the source of plutonium for its nuclear weapons programme.
North Korea's nuclear testsNorth Korea's nuclear tests
How advanced is North Korea's nuclear programme?How advanced is North Korea's nuclear programme?
"We assess that North Korea has followed through on its announcement by expanding its Yongbyon enrichment facility and restarting the plutonium production reactor," Mr Clapper told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"We further assess that North Korea has been operating the reactor long enough so that it could begin to recover plutonium from the reactor's spent fuel within a matter of weeks to months."
About 4kg of plutonium is needed in order to make a bomb that would explode with a force of 20 kilotons.
Pyongyang has pledged several times to stop operations at Yongbyon and even destroyed the cooling tower in 2008 as part of a disarmament-for-aid deal.
However, in March 2013, following a row with the US and with new UN sanctions over a third nuclear test, it vowed to restart all facilities at Yongbyon.
North Korea is under UN sanctions for carrying out several nuclear tests in the past.