▶ Date: 2022. 11. 10(THU)

▶ Time: 4:30 ~ 5:30 PM

▶ Venue :  Online(ZOOM)

     Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2076815786?pwd=UUNMbldJSjBlcXpEVUtHNzJPNmNZdz09

▶ Speaker: Prof., Seung Min Woo(Kyung Hee University)

▶ Title: Study on the 5MW Graphite-moderated Reactor in the DPRK in terms of Proliferation

▶ Abstract:

The 5MW graphite-moderated reactor in Youngbyon is one of the main nuclear weapon program facilities in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Plutonium production capability using that graphite-moderated reactor has been analyzed. However, a graphite-moderated reactor was known to be capable of producing not only Plutonium but also Tritium. In 2017, the DPRK announced that they have successfully tested a Hydrogen bomb. Moreover, the IAEA reported in 2021 that the 5MW graphite-moderated reactor would be probably restarted to produce Tritium. Therefore, in this study, the Tritium production capability using the graphite-moderated reactor was analyzed using the MCNP code. For that, we modeled the TPBAR (Tritium-Producing Burnable Absorber Rod) and the unit-cell of the reactor core. The simulation results showed that significant quantities of Tritium and Plutonium could be produced simultaneously. This is sufficient to pose a significant threat to the security of the Korean Peninsula and the World. The strategy of disarmament and denuclearization of the 5MW graphite-moderated reactor was discussed at the end of this study.