Experts see no construction at NKorea nuke site

September 05, 2009 02:55:59 PM

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Experts poring over a satellite image of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor said Friday there is no evidence the Stalinist state is trying to rebuild the facility as threatened.

The Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) said the black and white photo they have published show key parts of the reactor still in disrepair.

"Based on an analysis of imagery, there do not appear to be any reconstruction efforts at the reactor site," the ISIS said.

North Korea mothballed the reactor as part of a 2007 deal with the United States, China, Russia, South Korea and Japan, but recently said it would recover plutonium from fuel rods at the site.

The image, dated August 10, shows a complex of buildings, including what ISIS said was the site of a destroyed cooling tower, with no signs of reconstruction.

In April UN inspectors removed seals and switched off surveillance equipment the facility, as North Korea quit the six-party talks and ceased cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The regime announced on Friday that it had reached the final stage of enriching uranium, its second way of making nuclear bombs.

It also announced it was building more plutonium-based atomic weapons.

Some analysts said its nuclear claims appeared aimed at pressing Washington to open direct talks.