Comments on: North Korea: Peace or Else! http://pollack.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/2644/north-korea-peace-or-else an ACW Network site Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:28:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Josh http://pollack.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/2644/north-korea-peace-or-else#comment-913 Josh Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:19:47 +0000 http://armscontrolwonk.com/?p=2644#comment-913 Thermopile: A very good question. The Yongbyon-like reactor on the Eurphrates had no cooling tower for the very reason you say. But it appears that the seasonal variations in the flow of the Kuryong River would make it difficult if not impossible to operate a reactor at Yongbyon at certain times of year without a cooling tower. Sorry — I can’t find a reference for this claim at the moment, but will look around. Thermopile:

A very good question. The Yongbyon-like reactor on the Eurphrates had no cooling tower for the very reason you say. But it appears that the seasonal variations in the flow of the Kuryong River would make it difficult if not impossible to operate a reactor at Yongbyon at certain times of year without a cooling tower. Sorry — I can’t find a reference for this claim at the moment, but will look around.

]]> By: thermopile http://pollack.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/2644/north-korea-peace-or-else#comment-912 thermopile Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:03:22 +0000 http://armscontrolwonk.com/?p=2644#comment-912 Does it have to be a <strong>visible</strong> re-enabling of the plant? In all the photos of the destruction of the cooling tower, there’s a nice, big river flowing directly behind the tower. It would be a simple matter to construct a cooling loop to the river, without all the activity associated with a tower. (See also: Box on Euphrates; Hanford B reactor) Doing it surreptitiously like this would give NK a possible element of surprise. Still, it just seems like the usual saber-rattling, and not an overt cause for alarm. Does it have to be a visible re-enabling of the plant?

In all the photos of the destruction of the cooling tower, there’s a nice, big river flowing directly behind the tower. It would be a simple matter to construct a cooling loop to the river, without all the activity associated with a tower. (See also: Box on Euphrates; Hanford B reactor)

Doing it surreptitiously like this would give NK a possible element of surprise. Still, it just seems like the usual saber-rattling, and not an overt cause for alarm.

]]> By: K http://pollack.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/2644/north-korea-peace-or-else#comment-911 K Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:17:21 +0000 http://armscontrolwonk.com/?p=2644#comment-911 The DPRK’s response on Tuesday to the CD address of the South Korean Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and later to the address of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ireland, included statements about continuing to develop their nuclear deterrent in the face of the US’ hostile behavior. The representative also spoke on the issue of dismantlement of its nuclear arsenal (only after US disarms/drops its hostile stance, and withdrawal (reitering that DPRK has a ‘legitimate security need’ in the face of the US nuclear threat). The DPRK’s response on Tuesday to the CD address of the South Korean Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and later to the address of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ireland, included statements about continuing to develop their nuclear deterrent in the face of the US’ hostile behavior. The representative also spoke on the issue of dismantlement of its nuclear arsenal (only after US disarms/drops its hostile stance, and withdrawal (reitering that DPRK has a ‘legitimate security need’ in the face of the US nuclear threat).

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