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| A view of what researchers of Beyond Parallel, a CSIS project, describe as specialized rail cars at the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center in North Pyongan Province, North Korea, in this commercial satellite image taken April 12, 2019 and released April 16, 2019. Reuters-Yonhap |
Recent satellite imagery has shown the movement of four specialized railcars that could indicate the transportation of radioactive material at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear complex, a U.S. think tank said Friday.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) published the findings in a report, citing satellite imagery from Nov. 1 and 9, but added that it was unclear whether any radioactive material was actually moved.
The Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center is North Korea's main nuclear facility and has been at the center of U.S.-North Korea negotiations aimed at dismantling the regime's nuclear weapons program.
The four specialized railcars have been associated with the movement of radioactive material in the past, according to CSIS.
On Nov. 1, one railcar, described as an approximately 10-meter-long flatcar with four casks, was seen on the track to the west of the radiochemistry laboratory. The other three railcars were observed in the southern rail yard serving the uranium enrichment plant and reported Isotope/tritium production facility, the report said.
By Nov. 9, all four railcars had been moved to the Pungang-ni Railway Station, which services the nuclear complex.
"While there is some preliminary analysis associating these four specialized railcars to reprocessing campaigns at the radiochemistry laboratory, this does not appear to be true in all instances or in the current situation," the report noted, adding that the type of radioactive material being transported was unclear.
Citing the relatively small size and number of casks, the report suggested they may have been used to transport small quantities of irradiated liquid or solid waste, disassembled but contaminated equipment, or fissile material from Yongbyon to outside facilities.
A less likely possibility is that they were used to transport radioactive material from an external facility to the complex.
"For many years, North Korea has repeatedly demonstrated an astute and remarkably effective skill of maneuvering international diplomatic tensions to its benefit through strategic escalation and de-escalation," the report said. "Given the current diplomatic climate between North Korea and the United States it is unclear if the presence of these railcars represents another carefully calibrated move by North Korea to maneuver the U.S. into a favorable negotiating position, the actual movement of radioactive materials or a combination of both."
Washington and Pyongyang have been at an impasse in their negotiations due to differences over how much the North should denuclearize in order to receive sanctions relief and security guarantees from the U.S.
"These findings underscore that the Yongbyon nuclear complex remains active in the absence of diplomatic breakthroughs following three meetings between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un," the report said, naming the U.S. president and the North Korean leader. (Yonhap)
