U.S. To Dismantle NK’s Nuclear Substance Overseas

U.S. To Dismantle NK’s Nuclear Substance Overseas. November. 27, 2003 22:53. by Hun-Joo Cho hanscho@donga.com.

In its November 27 Washington dispatch, Yomiuri Shimbun reported that at the second round of six-way talks, there is a possibility of the U.S. administration to suggest the measure of sending the North Korean nuclear fuel pipes out to foreign lands such as Russia in order to dismantle it.

The dismantling procedure of the North Korean nuclear substances considered by the U.S. is as follows: entire disclosure of their nuclear development plan in the past, categorical dismantlement of 8,000 used nuclear fuel pipes in the foreign territory, and ripping off of the facilities of nuclear fuel re-disposal.

In particular, this daily passed on that the U.S. will organize a practical surveillance team, comprising of experts from the nuclear bomb possessing countries such as China, Russia, the U.K. and France, to look into the nuclear facilities in North Korea. In this case, it is worthy of notice as to whether the other participants of the six-way talks without nuclear weapons, such as Korea, Japan and others, will join the surveillance team. Yomiuri added that Russia is already preparing for the dismantlement in their territory as a measure of the U.S. But, if North Korea turns down this measure, the problem of securing North Korea’s safety on the written agreement would face obstacles, expected Yomiuri. On the other hand, as part of the November 27 Washington dispatch, the other Japanese daily, Kyodo News, reported that the six-way talks participants, except North Korea, have decided on the mutual agreement of the four provisions as their final goal of this meeting, including the safety guarantee for North Korea, on the premise of “Complete Abandonment of Nuclear Development which is never to be restored and can be monitored.”

The four provisions are same as follows. On the premise of North Korea accepting the complete abandonment of their nuclear weapons, including the measure of other countries’ inspecting and monitoring on them to carry it out, the five countries such as the U.S. will promise to guarantee the “Safety of North Korea,” and drive forward to solve the “other problems” such as the Japanese abduction problem and freeze the current development of the problem in order not to aggravate it more.

Kyodo News quoted the remarks of the source from the related countries that these final suggestions from the participants were sent forth to Kim Young-il, North Korea’s deputy foreign minister, who has visited China recently. If the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il accepts this suggestion, the second round of six ways talk will be held in Beijing, China around December 17 to 19.