N. Korea's light-water reactor likely to be in full operation next summer

North Korea's experimental light-water nuclear reactor is expected to be in full-fledged operation next summer, South Korea's defense chief has said, although it is unlikely to be used to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons, Report informs referring to Yonhap.

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik made the remark to reporters after International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi renewed concerns last week over signs of activity at the reactor in the North's main Yongbyon nuclear complex.

Grossi said his agency had detected signs of the North commissioning the reactor, such as the strong outflow of water from its cooling system since mid-October, noting the experimental reactor can produce plutonium, a key nuclear weapon fuel, like any other nuclear reactor.

Shin said Seoul has detected signs of cooling water being discharged from the reactor since last summer, estimating that it would likely take the North about a year since then to put the reactor in full operation.

"(The reactor) is currently on a test run for improvements to its equipment and facilities," he said. "It is expected to be in normal operation by next summer."

The North started building the experimental reactor more than a decade ago, which is known to have a bigger capacity than the 5-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon that the regime has used to produce plutonium.

The UN Security Council has passed several resolutions sanctioning North Korea for developing nuclear weapons and related activities.