South Korea Says North Korea Has Restarted Nuclear Reactor

Had shut down in 2007

North Korea has reportedly re-started a nuclear reactor that halted operations in 2007, in a move sure to increase tensions on the Korean peninsula ahead of planned military drills by the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. 

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, citing a lawmaker who had been briefed by that country's National Intelligence Service, reported Tuesday that the Yongbyon nuclear reactor had resumed operations. The North Korean government announced this past March that it planned to resume operations at the facility, located approximately 55 miles north of Pyongyang. 

Earlier Tuesday, the North's state news agency announced that its troops had been placed on emergency alert and had been given the go-ahead to launch operations at any time against the drills. The exercises were scheduled to be held between Tuesday and Thursday in the waters off the South Korea port city of Busan, but have been delayed due to bad weather.