Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center

The Nuclear plant Nyŏngbyŏn represents the probably most of the nuclear installations in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea); they located near the town Nyŏngbyŏn (DPRK Spelling: 녕변, Nyŏngbyŏn; South Korean Spelling: 영변, Yongbyon / Yeongbyeon ), 100 km north of Pyongyang, in the province of P'yŏngan - pukto.

1962 decided the government of North Korea, (now about 9,500 inhabitants) set at Nyŏngbyŏn with Soviet aid, a nuclear research center. As of August 1965, where he built also with the help of Soviet research reactor of the type IRT -2000 (other sources: IRT -2M ) with 2 megawatts. He went into operation in 1967. By 1973, the Soviet Union supplied fuel rods that were up to 10% enriched with fissile uranium. Mid-1970s, North Korea modernized the research reactor and placed it around on highly enriched uranium, which increased the power of the reactor.

At the same time, Pyongyang began with the construction of their own second reactor with a capacity of five megawatts. The reactor can produce up to eight kilograms of plutonium per year, according to estimates.

In the 1980s the site to a plant for production of fuel as well as a plant for the reprocessing of nuclear fuel rods has been extended. At the same time was the construction of the nuclear plant in T'aech'ŏn ( 13,000 inhabitants), northwest of Nyŏngbyŏn started.

The expansion of the plant on the other side of the river with another reactor with 50 MW capacity and the nuclear facility in T'aech'ŏn with a capacity of 200 MW were not completed until today.

In the framework of the Six -Party Talks recorded on 13 February 2007, a commitment from North Korea in exchange for 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil to close the Nyŏngbyŏn systems and allow inspections by foreigners. After some delays and a surprise visit of the U.S. special envoy Christopher Hill in Pyongyang, North Korea pledged to June 22, 2007, shut down the plutonium -producing plant over the next three weeks. The talks focused on the implementation of the commitment by North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program. The inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) confirmed by an inspection of nuclear facilities on 15 July 2007 that the reactor was shut down.

As a visible sign of the degradation of its nuclear program, North Korea blew up on 27 June 2008 the cooling tower of the reactor. A day earlier, had passed detailed information about the North Korean nuclear program in Beijing government representatives. A detailed inspection of nuclear power plant rejected the North Korean government but from first.

End of August 2008 announced the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the suspension of the dismantling of the plant Nyŏngbyŏn. Instead, one wants to build the nuclear reactor again. In a statement September 19, 2008 North Korea announced to prepare the re- commissioning of the plant, as the U.S. The country had still not been removed from the list of so-called "rogue states". International observers saw in the announcement of the attempt by North Korea, contrary to the agreements in the six- party talks to resume the nuclear weapons program.

Early October 2008, North Korea declared himself ready again to accept the results of the six-party talks and to allow new inspections of nuclear installations from Nyŏngbyŏn. The United States abandoned then on October 11 North Korea with immediate effect from the list of rogue states. A day later, North Korea announced the shutdown of the system of Nyŏngbyŏn.

A U-turn took place, the regime apparently in 2010. According to a report of the U.S. nuclear weapons experts Siegfried Hecker, the system of Nyŏngbyŏn is operated again. In addition to the treatment of existing plutonium there is, according to Hecker's report now also an advanced uranium enrichment complex and modern control technology. An experimental light-water reactor with a capacity 25 to 30 MW is under construction.

North Korean state media announced on April 2, 2013, North Korea wanted to drive up the five-megawatt reactor in Nyŏngbyŏn again. It would take measures for re- commissioning of the reactor and other facilities. Shortly before, on February 12, 2013, North Korea had conducted an underground nuclear test.

In June 2013, the US- Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University reported on its website, satellite images showed that the cooling tower was repaired again.

Satellite images from August 31, 2013 showed that white smoke rising from a building near the reactor hall, in which are the steam turbines and electrical generators. This tends to suggest that the reactor was put into operation.