North Korea Blew up a Mountain as a Hydroelectric Project

North Korea Blew up a Mountain as a Hydroelectric Project. September. 13, 2004 21:46. by Hoon Lee dreamland@donga.com zsh75@donga.com.

The September 13 BBC online edition reported that North Korea`s Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun revealed that a huge blast which had been spotted in Kimhyongjik County, Yangang Province, North Korea on September 12 was “in fact, the deliberate demolition of a mountain as a part of a huge hydroelectric project.”

It reported that Paek’s remarks came in response to a question about the blast given by the visiting U.K. Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell.

The U.K. Foreign Office minister, who has been visiting the North since September 11 in order to discuss human rights issues and nuclear problems, urged his North Korean counterpart to let a British diplomat inspect the scene. The BBC added that Mr. Paek in fact has promised to “consider the request.”

Paek’s statement on that day is remarkable since it was North Korea’s first explanation after the huge explosion in Yangang Province had been reported. The following remarks on that matter are expected to come out.

At a Parliamentary ad hoc committee meeting on South and North Korean relations on Monday, South Korean Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young said, “We will confirm whether it was a real site for a hydroelectric project.”

“Unique-shaped clouds were sighted around Yangang Province in satellite pictures on Thursday morning. However, it was not clear whether the clouds had appeared due to an explosion or a different cause,” he added.

“Since the National Geological Observation laboratory reported that a variety of shakes caused by seismic waves were detected around Mt. Baikdoo at 11:24 on Wednesday evening, the possibility that the two incidents would be related was screened. However, I was briefed that the site where the seismic waves were detected was 100~120 kilometers away from the place where the clouds was seen. It is unlikely that the two events are related.”

At a meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan on the same day, U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill said, “The explosion in Yangang Province is not related to a nuclear weapons test. We believe that it was a simple accident that had occurred in a secluded area. The U.S. keeps trying to reveal the real facts of the case and hopes to get the results soon.”