A U.S.-based North Korea monitoring Web site has assessed that operations are still ongoing at the uranium enrichment plant within the regime's Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center. 

Citing recent commercial satellite imagery, 38 North said Wednesday that it continues to witness vehicle, equipment and personnel activity around the uranium enrichment complex. 

The report said satellite imagery shows what appears to be a white tanker trailer near the far west end of the complex on February 16th or 17th until the morning of March 27th. 

According to 38 North, the shape of the tanker trailer and the cylinder or shipping container appears consistent with a tanker trailer necessary for transporting liquid nitrogen, which is needed to operate cold traps in the uranium enrichment process.

However, the report added it's difficult to make a positive identification from the satellite imagery alone. The report said if the vehicle is a liquid nitrogen tanker trailer truck, then it's likely it was periodically parked at the location to refill on-site storage tanks which indicates the complex is operational, and therefore it's most likely producing enriched uranium. 

South Korea's National Intelligence Service said in late March that it believes the North is continuing to enrich uranium at Yongbyon.

[Photo : KBS News]