Is North Korea becoming nuclear active again?- This is the question plaguing the U.S. officials following satellite images taken by Digital Global, an American based commercial satellite. The satellite pictures show activity around the area where the Yongbyon cooling tower once stood. The cooling tower was destroyed as part of the negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear program. Yongbyon used to produce the plutonium for its nuclear arsenal.
The photographs show what appear to be heavy duty machinery and other construction equipment. The American officials remain clueless as to what all of this activity around the old demolished cooling tower could mean. North Korea might be trying to improve its plutonium stock as it has been threatening. As North Korea is also aware that it is under constant surveillance by both commercial and intelligence satellites, they could also be trying to pull a fast one. Jonathan Pollack, an expert on North Korean security at the U.S. Naval War College, said that North Korea had tried similar attention seeking tactics before. They have conducted nuclear tests both in 2006 and 2009, forcing the Bush administration to start talks with Pyongyang.
The recent weeks had seen some thawing in the relations between North and South Korea with separated families being allowed to meet after the Korean War. South Korea has also send food aid to North Korea.
Joel S. Wit, a North Korea watcher and former State Department official, feels that although the movement near Yongbyon might be because of the plan of present leadership change in North Korea, it would be very dangerous on the part of the U.S. to ignore the activity around the disused cooling tower.
