• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

NK offers to halt nuke facilities

2004-01-07

Pyongyang reiterated that it would halt its nuclear activities in what it called a gesture toward resolution of its prolonged nuclear standoff with Washington, announced on Tuesday (Jan. 6).

As a first-phase measure, the North would refrain from testing and producing nuclear weapons and stop operating a nuclear power industry.

North Korea had earlier proposed a freeze on its nuclear facilities, which it has reactivated since the current tension erupted in October 2002, if the United States agreed to offer aid and removed it from a list of terrorism-sponsoring countries.

Seoul officials said the latest North Korean statement contained no new offer but constituted a good signal for reconvening six-party talks on the North's nuclear weapons development.

"The DPRK is set to refrain from (testing) and production of nuclear weapons and stop even operating (a) nuclear power industry (for peaceful purposes) as first-phase measures of the package solution," the Korean Central News Agency said in a commentary.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

The North described the offer as "one more bold concession" on its part, while repeating its earlier demand for the United States to drop its hostile policy toward the regime and for other neighboring countries to supply energy assistance.

"I think North Korea keeps presenting the proposal as the North finds it constructive but there is still a rift among concerned countries on the steps to settle the nuclear tension," a senior Foreign Ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

"Washington refuses to be seen to offer compensation or rewards to Pyongyang by agreeing on the North's demands for the package deal," the official said.

The United States has said it wants North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons programs in a verifiable, complete and irreversible manner before it will offer any concessions.

Due to the tug-of-war between the two countries, a second round of six-party talks has failed to materialize. The nuclear talks involve the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

Wi Sung-lac, director-general of the North American Affairs Bureau at the Foreign Ministry, said in a news briefing yesterday that the participants were not discussing specific dates for the talks.

"Now the countries are clarifying their positions on the nuclear issue and the process of the six-party talks is continuing," Wi said.

Two U.S. groups - one of congressional aides and the other of civilian experts - are currently in North Korea for a possible visit to a controversial nuclear complex at Yeongbyeon, north of Pyongyang.

They will be the first outsiders to look around the nuclear facilities since North Korea expelled international inspectors from the site in December 2002.

The ongoing nuclear tension erupted in October 2002 when North Korea admitted to pursuing a secret nuclear weapons program using highly enriched uranium.

Source : www.korea.net