Yep, the Norks are firing up the ol’ gas-graphite reactor at Yongbyon just like they said they would in April.
With Yongbyon breeding plutonium and twice as much floor space at the enrichment facility, the North Koreans are probably happy to keep talking.
Here are the initial stories from Kyodo and AP, as well as my piece with Nick Hansen.
38North provided Nick and I with the satellite image showing steam coming from the turbine building, while Kyodo’s Tomo Inoue is citing “diplomatic sources” in Asia.
As it happens, Glyn Davies is traveling in the region at the moment — so its a good bet Davies briefed similar images to our allies in South Korea, is now telling the Chinese and will tell the Japanese once he gets to Tokyo. Whether the leaks to Kyodo are from the briefers or the briefees, I don’t know.