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NKorea sought material for uranium-based nuke programme: Seoul
AFP
SEOUL
Petroleumworld.com 02 23 06Nuclear-armed North Korea has been trying to procure material for a highly enriched uranium (HEU) programme but it is not yet thought to be operating, a senior South Korean official said Friday.
"What North Korea has been procuring for the HEU programme is already well known (to the Nuclear Suppliers' Group) but we do not have full information where the programme itself stands now," said Chun Young-woo, Seoul's envoy to six-party nuclear talks.
"Nobody seems to believe that they have an enrichment plant up and running but I cannot tell you how far North Korea's enrichment programme has evolved," he told a press conference.
US accusations that the North is running a secret HEU programme to make atomic weapons, in addition to its declared plutonium-based operation, are seen as a major potential obstacle to implementing last week's denuclearisation deal.
The claims led to the collapse of a similar deal in 1994. Pyongyang denies having any such programme.
Under the February 13 six-party agreement in Beijing, North Korea must answer suspicions about any of its nuclear programmes, Chun added.
The Nuclear Suppliers Group is a group of countries which seek to control such exports. Chun said its discussions were confidential and he could not disclose details of the North's failures or successes in procurement.
As a first step under the Beijing agreement the North has agreed to shut down and seal its Yongbyon plutonium-producing reactor within 60 days and admit UN inspectors.
It will receive 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil or equivalent aid in return.
Action to permanently disable the nuclear facilities would be rewarded with up to 950,000 tons of heavy oil or other aid.
Critics have complained the pact does not directly address North Korea's existing plutonium stockpile or nuclear bombs, or its suspected uranium programme. It staged its first nuclear test last October.
Chun said he was not sure whether Pyongyang has made a strategic decision to abandon its nuclear ambitions, but it appears determined to take the initial steps.
He said he believed it had made a decision at least to give up existing nuclear programmes.
Chun cautioned that the new agreement is the start of a long process.
"The nuclear issue has yet to be resolved and we have a long journey ahead before the complete dismantlement of all nuclear weapons and nuclear programmes and the road there cannot be but rough."
Five working groups are due to meet within 30 days of the Beijing agreement to start planning how to implement it. Chun said the group considering energy and economic assistance, to be chaired by Seoul, would meet during the week of March 12.
"We first have to hear what items North Korea wishes to receive and what the other four nations wish to provide," Chun said.
He said South Korea is ready to make the first shipments but these would only be delivered when North Korea shuts down Yongbyon.
The six-party talks group the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China.
AFP 23 0820 GMT 02 07
Copyright© 1999 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
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