Bros, North Korea Just Restarted A Plutonium Reactor That Could Provide Fuel For Nukes In Weeks

You’d think that after a month where North Korea successfully tested a nuclear weapon and launched a satellite into space, both against the will of international coalitions, it would chill out a bit on the bellicosity.

But, nah, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is on a roll, so why stop there?

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in his annual intelligence threat report that North Korea has restarted a plutonium reactor, which could give the communist nation nuclear fuel for bombs within a month.

Like I said, they are on a roll. And probably also out of nuclear fuel after that bomb test. It’s not like the impoverished nation’s got dickloads of it lying around. From the AP:

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said that Pyongyang announced in 2013 its intention to refurbish and restart nuclear facilities, to include the uranium enrichment facility at Yongbyon and its graphite-moderated plutonium production reactor, which was shut down in 2007. Clapper said U.S. intelligence had assessed that North Korea has expanded Yongbyon and restarted the plutonium production reactor there.

Clapper also told the Senate Armed Services Committee in his opening statement that North Korea has been operating the reactor long enough that it could begin to recover plutonium “within a matter of weeks to months.”

Over the next few years, experts believe, North Korea could have enough fuel for up to 100 bombs.

And hey, who knows, maybe a functional intercontinental ballistic missile by then as well, although their attempt at a satellite launch this week was embarrassingly bad, according to CNN:

The satellite North Korea fired into space on Sunday is “tumbling in orbit” and incapable of functioning in any useful way, a senior U.S. defense official told CNN.

Come on. Even grade schoolers in this country can put shit into orbit. That’s just sad.