N Korea reprocesses spent fuel rods
Tuesday, 3 November 2009 20:27North Korea has completed reprocessing spent fuel rods to make more fuel for nuclear weapons.
The country had 'successfully completed reprocessing spent fuel rods by the end of August' at its Yongbyon complex, the North Korean Central News Agency said.
In early September, North Korea had said the plutonium extracted from the reprocessing 'is being weaponised'.
'Noticeable successes have been made in turning the extracted plutonium weapon-grade for the purpose of bolstering up the nuclear deterrent,' The North Korean Central News Agency said.
The comments indicated the North's growing impatience at Washington's delay in accepting an offer of bilateral talks to end the nuclear standoff.
Yesterday, its foreign ministry pressed the US to agree to such talks, and said these could lead to a resumption of stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament negotiations.
'If the US is not ready to sit at a negotiating table with the DPRK, it will go its own way,' a ministry spokesman added.
Experts believe the 8,000 rods could produce enough plutonium for one or two nuclear bombs, in addition to the North's current stockpile, which could perhaps fuel six to eight weapons.
The North quit the six-party talks in April after the UN censured its long-range rocket launch, and vowed to restart the nuclear programme that it shut down under a 2007 six-party pact.
