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U.S.: N. Korea Still Building Nuke Facility NewsMax.com WiresSEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea told a visiting U.S. lawmaker the communist nation was still working to build reactors that could produce material for atomic bombs, the congressman said Sunday. U.S. Rep. James Leach, R-Iowa, the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, traveled to the North this week with U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif. Leach said the North's chief negotiator at nuclear disarmament talks, Kim Kye Gwan, insisted his country "ought to have the right to a light-water reactor." Story Continues Below "Beyond that, there was a notification that they are proceeding with the building of a graphite facility," Leach said in a reference to the type of reactors used at the North's main Yongbyon nuclear facility. The North is also moving to create more weapons-grade nuclear material for bombs, Leach said. Leach said Congress has reservations about allowing the North to have a light-water nuclear reactor, believed to be more difficult to convert for weapons use, because the country allegedly violated a 1994 agreement with Washington. Leach said North Korean officials had made a "pretty strong commitment" to return to six-nation arms talks in the week of Sept. 12. The date is two weeks later than originally agreed when negotiators in Beijing went into recess last month after 13 days of talks failed to reach agreement. The North says it should be allowed to operate a peaceful nuclear program for power generation. Some of the other countries at the talks have supported that position but only on condition the country completely disarms and follows all international guidelines. © 2005 The Associated Press
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