Tracking Nuclear Proliferation: A Guide in Maps and Charts, 1998, by Rodney W. Jones, Mark G. McDonough, Toby Dalton, and Gregory Koblentz

 

North Korea: Nuclear Infrastructure

NAME/LOCATION OF FACILITY	TYPE/STATUS	IAEA SAFEGUARDS
POWER REACTORS
Sinpo (Kumho)	Light-water, 1000 MWe; ground broken in August 1997.	Yes
Yongbyon	Gas-graphite, natural U, 5 MWe; operations frozen.	IAEA verifying freeze in operations.
Yongbyon	Gas-graphite, natural U, 50 MWe; construction halted.	IAEA verifying construction freeze.
Taechon	Gas-graphite, natural U, 200 MWe; construction halted.	IAEA verifying construction freeze.
RESEARCH REACTORS
IRT, Yongbyon	Pool-type, HEU, 4 MWt; operating.	Yes
Yongbyon	Critical assembly.	Yes
Pyongyang	Sub-critical assembly.	Yes
REPROCESSING (PLUTONIUM EXTRACTION)
Yongbyon	Partially completed; operations frozen.	Yes
Pyongyang	Soviet-supplied laboratory-scale "hot cells."	No
URANIUM PROCESSING
Pyongsan	Uranium mining; status unknown.	N/A (Not Applicable)
Pakchon (Sunchon-Wolbingson mine)	Uranium mining; status unknown.	N/A
Pyongsan	Uranium milling; status unknown.	N/A
Pakchon	Uranium milling; status unknown.	N/A
Yongbyon	Uranium purification (UO2) facility; operating.	Yes
Yongbyon	Fuel fabrication facility; operations frozen.	Yes
Yongbyon	Pilot-scale fuel fabrication facility; dismantled, according to North Korean officials.	No

 

Abbreviations:

HEU = highly enriched uranium

LEU = low-enriched uranium

nat. U = natural uranium

MWe = millions of watts of electrical output

MWt = millions of watts of thermal output

KWt = thousands of watts of thermal output

 

Tracking Nuclear Proliferation: A Guide in Maps and Charts, 1998