North Korea may be restarting nuke plant, according to images reviewed by US institute
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A U.S. research institute says North Korea may be attempting to restart its main nuclear bomb fuel reactor after a five-month shutdown.
If true, the finding Thursday, will be an added worry for the United States and the North's neighbors at a time of increasing animosity.
The Nyongbyon reactor restarted in 2013 after being shuttered under a 2007 disarmament agreement. It has been offline since August.
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Possible signs in satellite imagery from Dec. 24 through Jan. 11 that the reactor is being restarted include hot water drainage from a pipe at a turbine building and growing snow-melt on the roofs of the reactor and turbine buildings.
The U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies says more monitoring is needed to reach a definitive conclusion about what's happening.