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Thursday, Feb. 6, 2003

South Korea said it was deeply concerned about the escalating nuclear standoff but said the North's move did not necessarily mean it would go nuclear.

North Korea said its reactor operations were proceeding "on a normal footing."

"The DPRK [North Korea] is now putting the operation of its nuclear facilities for the production of electricity on a normal footing after their restart," a foreign ministry spokesman said.

Officials in Seoul said they could not confirm a restart of North Korea's nuclear facilities and said the announcement Wednesday might have been a move by Pyongyang to draw Washington's attention (and extort even more billions in aid) as the United States stepped up war preparations against Iraq.

Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency quoted the foreign ministry's spokesman as saying that North Korea "solemnly" claimed that its nuclear activity would be limited to peaceful purposes, including the production of electricity "at the present stage."

North Korea said its atomic facilities would be used to produce electricity. It insisted its resumption of nuclear activity was a consequence of the U.S. decision to cease giving heavy fuel oil to the country.

More Suited for Weapons Than Electricity

But nuclear analysts say 5-megawatt reactors at a nuclear plant in Yongbyon, north of Pyongyang, are too small to generate much electricity. They fear that North Korea's move is part of efforts to producing weapons-grade plutonium. Confirmation of those concerns would come if and when North Korea restarts is refining facility at Yongbyon.

In 1994 North Korea shut down the Yongbyon site and halted construction on two larger reactors of 50 and 200 megawatts as part of a U.S.-brokered deal to build two light-water reactors, which do not produce plutonium to refine for nuclear weapons, at international expense.

North Korea also warned the United States not to take military actions against it.

"If the United States launches a surprise attack on our peaceful nuclear facilities, it will spark a full-scale war," said Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's state-run newspaper. "A U.S. attack will lead to a nuclear war. All Koreans not only in the North but also in the South will become a victim of the war."

In Seoul, President Kim Dae-jung again urged Pyongyang to drop its nuclear ambitions and accept international nuclear inspectors "for the sake of peaceful co-existence of both Koreas."

A Foreign Ministry official told United Press International that "the text of the North Korean report looks more like language saying it was about to restart the facility, rather than they had actually restarted it."

But the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the possibility was high that North Korea would reactivate the nuclear facility if indeed it has not already.

The North's announcement came less than five days after U.S. officials said American satellite surveillance had shown North Korea was moving fuel rods around the Yongbyon reactor complex. It came the same day U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell made a dramatic presentation before the United Nations Security Council about Iraq and its violations of disarmament agreements.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is to meet Wednesday to discuss the nuclear standoff. Officials said IAEA's 35-nation board of governors is almost certain to send the dispute to the U.N. Security Council, which could impose sanctions. North Korea has said any sanctions on it would amount to a declaration of war.

North Korea said it would no longer recognize the Security Council if it decides sanction Pyongyang.

Copyright 2003 by United Press International.

All rights reserved.

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