As Secretary Mattis prepares for Asia visit, North Korea starts reactor

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Hong Kong (CNN)North Korea appears to be restarting a plutonium reactor just as US Secretary of Defense James Mattis prepares to visit neighboring South Korea and Japan.

An analysis of new satellite imagery from 38 North, a North Korea tracking project associated with the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, concludes that country is preparing to restart the reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear facility.

The images show that most of a river near the reactor is frozen over, except for where water originating from a reactor outlet mixes with the river -- indicating that the reactor is likely operational.

Mattis' visit to South Korea and Japan will be his first overseas trip as secretary of defense, making it a symbolic show of support for two of the US' most important allies in the region who have concerns about how President Donald Trump will approach relations in the Pacific.

Trump has said that he wants to rethink the US role in the region. He's publicly mused whether it's worth continuing to support Japan and South Korea without reevaluating what the US gets in return.

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Racing ahead

The move comes as Pyongyang has made it clear it's also racing ahead with the production of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), the type of projectile that would be used to deliver a nuclear warhead.

US and South Korean officials said that the country may be preparing two ICBMs for testing in the near future, just weeks after President Kim Jong Un said the country is in the final stages of preparing its ICBM.

North Korea's attempts to develop its missile technology come after a year of heightened nuclear activity.

North Korea

Sanctions

Nuclear events

2006

July
UN condemns North Korea's launch of ballistic missiles and restricts all sales of "missile or missile-related" items and technology to the country.

October
Following North Korea's first nuclear test, the UN imposes sanctions on the country

October
North Korea's first nuclear test detected, less than 1 kiloton according to US intelligence — the equivalent of under 1,000 tons of TNT.

2007

2009

June
Security Council expresses their "gravest" concern after North Korea's nuclear test in May, expanding sanctions to most arms imports.

May
A second nuclear missile weapon test is detected, this time as an underground explosion. The USGS registers it as a 4.7 magnitude seismic disturbance.

2010

2013

January
More sanctions are imposed by the UN, in response to a North Korean satellite launch.

March
In response to February nuclear test, UN once again condemns and puts more sanctions on North Korea, extending the asset freeze to more individuals and organizations. Luxury goods such as yachts and racing cars also put under sanctions.

February
First nuclear test under new North Korean leader Kim Jong Un occurs, with the explosion of a 6 to 7 kiloton bomb, according to North Korea.

2014

2016

March
Another nuclear bomb test prompts more United Nations sanctions, allowing states to search cargo heading into North Korea for any contraband.

November
Toughest' UN sanctions imposed after September nuclear bomb test, cutting North Korean exports of coal by $800 million.

January
North Korea claims to their fourth nuclear bomb test, although independent observers remain unconvinced as the explosion took place deep underground, making it hard to measure.

September
The largest nuclear test yet takes place, a blast equivalent to 10 kilotons, ten times stronger than their first test a decade ago.

In early January, President Trump promised that North Korea wouldn't develop a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the US.

The THAAD question

One thing that's almost sure to come up is the implementation of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system in South Korea.

The system is designed to take down a potential incoming projectiles and has been cited as a way to potentially stop a nuclear attack from North Korea.

Japan has also expressed interest in deploying the system on its own territory.

There was concern that Trump would take a step back on THAAD's deployment, but South Korean government representatives have said that South Korean National Security Office chief Kim Kwan-jin met with incoming US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who reaffirmed that THAAD's deployment will be moving ahead as planned.

Though the US believes the missile system is defensive in nature, Russia and China are vehemently opposed to it.

Both countries believe the system is a strategic tool to box each of them in, as THAAD is close enough that it could track and possibly take down their missiles.

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