DATE=12/15/1999 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=NORTH KOREA / NUCEAR (LONG) NUMBER=2-257167 BYLINE=AMY BICKERS DATELINE=HONG KONG INTERNET=YES CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: Officials from the United States, Japan, South Korea and the European Union signed a landmark deal Wednesday in Seoul, to build two non-weapons nuclear reactors in North Korea. As Amy Bickers reports from the V-O-A Asia News Center, the reactors are part of a 1994 agreement under which North Korea halted its suspect nuclear program. TEXT: Wednesday's long-awaited agreement on the construction of two light-water reactors is viewed as an important step towards curbing North Korea's nuclear threat. The four-point-six billion dollar project will replace two Soviet-designed plants which experts say can produce plutonium for use in atomic bombs. The new reactors will be built in the rural village of Kumho in the country's northeastern region. Eom Seock Jeong, (prono: Ohm Sook-Jhong) a South Korean official who advises Seoul on nuclear reactors, says the project will achieve the goal of providing North Korea with safe electrical power. /// EOM ACT /// They need the electricity. They are short of electricity and will use it for industrial purposes. /// END ACT /// South Korea will be the largest financial contributor as part of KEDO -- the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization. The consortium also includes the United States, Japan and the European Union. Washington has also agreed to ship heavy fuel oil to North Korea until the first reactor is completed. The project was postponed last year when North Korea test-fired a missile over Japan. Since then, Pyongyang agreed to stop testing missiles in exchange for the relaxation of sanctions. The signing of the agreement was also delayed because of negotiations over cost- sharing among consortium members. Mr. Eom says the undertaking will have effects beyond generating electrical power. /// EOM ACT /// From now on, I think more and more South Korean (construction) workers will go to North Korea to work there, and the materials will be shipped to the site and it means that between North and South Korea economic cooperation will be done on a greater scale. /// END ACT /// Mr. Eom says the first reactor could be built by 2007, with the second one completed in the following year. The consortium will continue to negotiate with Pyongyang about the construction schedule and the reactors' safety and performance. (SIGNED) NEB/AB/FC 15-Dec-1999 04:37 AM EDT (15-Dec-1999 0937 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
