Report: North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear facility in limited operation

Aug. 21 (UPI) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency says North Korea has restarted some parts of its nuclear facilities, according to a Japanese press report.

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported Tuesday a 5-megawatt graphite moderated reactor and a reprocessing plant at Yongbyon have been operating in the past year.

The information was included in the IAEA's annual report, according to the Japanese newspaper.

The IAEA also stated it is deeply regrettable the North is in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibit the development of missiles and nuclear weapons.

The graphite-moderated reactor in Yongbyon is used to produce weapons-grade plutonium, by burning uranium nuclear fuel.

The spent nuclear fuel is then sent to the adjacent reprocessing plant to extract plutonium.

According to the IAEA, discharges of steam emissions and cooling water were observed at the graphite reactor.

The IAEA also stated the reactor has started and stopped several times since December 2015, but may have over the long term burnt uranium nuclear fuel.

North Korea's Radiochemistry Research Institute in Yongbyon has also been discharging steam from late April to early May, according to the Yomiuri.

The steam could be being discharged for operational or maintenance purposes, since the plutonium extracted from spent fuel requires longer periods of operation.

North Korea's denuclearization is a top priority in Washington.

Yonhap reported a U.S. State Department told the South Korean news agency denuclearization must be kept a priority as the two Koreas plan to open a joint liaison office in Kaesong.