• Research
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie India logoCarnegie lettermark logo
{
  "authors": [
    "James M. Acton"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [
    "Korean Peninsula"
  ],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "NPP",
  "programs": [
    "Nuclear Policy"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "East Asia",
    "North Korea"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Nuclear Policy",
    "Arms Control"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media

U.S. Special Envoy Says Restarting Reactor Could Be Serious Move

Satellite images show activity at Yongbyon nuclear complex in North Korea.

Link Copied
By James M. Acton
Published on Sep 12, 2013

Source: Al Jazeera

Carnegie's James Acton discussed satellite images that show activity at Yongbyon nuclear complex in North Korea. Acton told Al Jazeera that the West needs to start talking again to Pyongyang. "Although this is not a surprise, it is serious," Acton said, "becasue it is yet another indication that North Korea is not going to be willing to give up its nuclear weapons program."

"Quite the contrary," Acton added, "it now appears to be intent on expanding the size of its arsenal." North Korea says it has a nuclear weapons and there is external evidence of that claim, Acton said, so this reactor is about expanding its arsenal. North Korea does not have a large arsenal at the moment so one and a half bombs worth a year is a significant expansion, Acton pointed out. 

"What I think ought to happen in private," Acton concluded, "is talks with North Korea about risk reduction, about trying to make it clear to North Korea that proliferating nuclear technology or material - as it has done to Syria in the past - that there will be consequences to pay."

This interview was originally broadcast on Al Jazeera.

About the Author

James M. Acton

Jessica T. Mathews Chair, Co-director, Nuclear Policy Program

Acton holds the Jessica T. Mathews Chair and is co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

    Recent Work

  • Other
    Unpacking Trump’s National Security Strategy
      • Cecily Brewer
      • +18

      James M. Acton, Saskia Brechenmacher, Cecily Brewer, …

  • Commentary
    Trump Has an Out on Nuclear Testing. He Should Take It.

      James M. Acton

James M. Acton
Jessica T. Mathews Chair, Co-director, Nuclear Policy Program
James M. Acton
Nuclear PolicyArms ControlEast AsiaNorth Korea

Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie India

  • Commentary
    On Thin Ice: Bhutan’s Diplomatic Challenge Amid the India-China Border Dispute

    This piece examines the strategic implications of Bhutan’s diplomatic efforts amid its border dispute with China, highlighting the thin ice it walks on to achieve a resolution without compromising its vital relationships.

      Shibani Mehta

  • Commentary
    A Quad Initiative on Digital Public Infrastructure

    With India set to host the sixth Quad Leaders' Summit in 2024, there is every opportunity for this minilateral to not only develop a DPI initiative but also execute pilots in the Indo-Pacific. This essay shares a rationale for how the four Quad countries could achieve this goal.

      Rudra Chaudhuri, Aadya Gupta

  • Commentary
    India’s Quest for Advanced Technology in the Era of Export Controls

    How can India navigate export control measures at a time when it is also entering into technology-centric partnerships with other nations to secure enhanced access to advanced technology?

      Konark Bhandari

  • Article
    Impasse at the LAC: An Examination of the 2013, 2014, and 2015 Standoffs

    This article examines the significance of the 2013, 2014, and 2015 border standoffs between India and China. It presents a detailed account of the border crises and how the two countries tried to manage them.

      Shibani Mehta

  • Commentary
    China and India Aren’t Reaching a Strategic Détente

    Contrary to some recent analyses, this commentary explains why a strategic détente between India and China is unlikely.

      Saheb Singh Chadha

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie India
Carnegie India logo, white
Unit C-4, 5, 6, EdenparkShaheed Jeet Singh MargNew Delhi – 110016, IndiaPhone: 011-40078687
  • Research
  • About
  • Experts
  • Projects
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie India
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.