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Developments in North Korean nuclear crisis
AFP
SEOUL
Petroleumworld.com 10 15 06
Following the UN Security Council vote to impose punitive sanctions against North Korea over its declared nuclear test, herewith is a timeline of the regime's nuclear programme:
1989: US satellite pictures reveal a nuclear reprocessing plant at North Korea's Yongbyon complex. Washington accuses North Korea of actively pursuing nuclear weapons. Pyongyang denies the charge.
1994: North Korea and the US sign the "Agreed Framework" accord. Pyongyang vows to freeze and dismantle its nuclear program in return for the construction of safe light-water nuclear reactors and fuel oil shipments while construction goes on.
2002
- October: The United States says Pyongyang has admitted running a secret uranium enrichment programme in violation of the 1994 agreement.
- December: North Korea rejects a call to open its nuclear facilities to inspection and asks the International Atomic Energy Agency to remove seals and surveillance equipment from its Yongbyon plant.
2003
- January 10: North Korea says it will quit the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
- August 27-29: The first round of six-party talks is held in Beijing and involves the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, but fails to resolve differences between Washington and Pyongyang.
2004
- February: Second round of six-party talks in Beijing ends without major breakthrough.
- June 23: The third round of talks is held in Beijing, with the United States offering North Korea fuel aid if it drops its nuclear programme.
- September 28: North Korea announces it has completed processing 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods.
2005
- January 19: Condoleezza Rice, US President George W. Bush's nominee as secretary of state, names North Korea as one of six "outposts of tyranny".
- February 10: North Korea announces that it has nuclear weapons and says it will boycott six-party talks until Washington drops its "hostile" policy.
- May 11: North Korea says it has completed extraction of spent fuel rods from the Yongbyon reactor as part of plans to "increase its nuclear arsenal".
- August 7: Fourth round of talks in deadlock and a recess is called.
- September 19: After six-party talks resume, in a joint statement North Korea agrees to scrap its nuclear programme and return to the Non-Proliferation Treaty in return for security guarantees, energy aid and a possible future light-water reactor.
- November 9-11: A fifth round of six-party talks take place in Beijing.
- December 6: North Korea threatens not to return to the six-party talks unless the US withdraws financial sanctions against it.
2006
- January 18: Nuclear envoys from North Korea, China and the United States meet in Beijing to try to revive the stalled nuclear talks, but the meeting ends without a breakthrough.
- July 4-5: North Korea test-fires seven missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2 despite warnings from the international community.
- July 15: The UN Security Council unanimously votes to impose sanctions on North Korea over the missile tests.
- October 3: North Korea says it will conduct a nuclear weapons test in response to threats and sanctions from the United States.
- October 6: The UN Security Council unanimously adopts a statement urging North Korea to abandon its test plans and return to the six-party talks.
- October 9: North Korea announces its successful first ever nuclear test, triggering global outrage. China condemns the "brazen" act, the United States calls it "provocative." The UN Security Council meets in emergency session.
- October 10: The international community weighs possible sanctions against the North. The UN Security Council meets again, with China backing "punitive" measures. South Korea orders its military to stay on maximum alert.
- October 11: Reports in Japan of a possible second test jangle nerves but are dismissed by officials. North Korea warns that it would regard harsh sanctions as a "declaration of war" and threatens further tests.
- October 12: World powers haggle over a draft UN Security Council resolution authorising sanctions against Pyongyang.
- October 13: Japan approves new bilateral sanctions, as China and South Korea pledge to back "appropriate" measures. Negotiations continue at the United Nations. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alexeyev flies to North Korea for talks.
- October 14: The UN Security Council unanimously votes to impose a raft of sanctions on North Korea over the reported test, but avoids any threat of the use of military force. Pyongyang's UN ambassador storms out in protest.
- October 15: North Korea's neighbours welcome the UN resolution against North Korea. Japan hails the text as a "great step forward" and says it is considering further sanctions. South Korea pledges to implement the sanctions.
AFP 15 0457 GMT 10 06
Copyright ©2006 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
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