North Korea may have shut down a recently restarted reactor that can yield plutonium for bombs, possibly for renovation or partial refueling, a U.S. security institute said, citing new satellite imagery.
North Korea announced in April 2013 that it would revive its aged 5-megawatt research reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex, saying it was seeking a deterrent capacity.
The isolated East Asian state, which quit the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty two decades ago, defends its nuclear arms program as a "treasured sword" to counter what it sees as U.S.-led hostility.