North Korea Suspends Nuclear Reactor, Fuel Extraction Underway: Report
North Korea has reportedly halted the operation of its nuclear reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex, likely to extract plutonium for use in weapons. The suspension of the 5 megawatt reactor since late September suggests reprocessing work to obtain weapons-grade plutonium. North Korea's main source of plutonium, the Yongbyon complex, has been used in the past to build nuclear weapons. The country has also operated uranium enrichment facilities. There are concerns that North Korea may conduct another nuclear test, as it has conducted six underground tests and has been developing miniaturized nuclear warheads.