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North Korea: Seoul Says North Korea Reprocessed Some Fuel Rods South Korean intelligence officials believe North Korea has reprocessed a small number of spent nuclear fuel rods, a key first step toward producing nuclear weapons, Associated Press reported today (see GSN, July 8). “We believe that North Korea has reprocessed a small portion of the 8,000 spent rods,” the National Intelligence Service said in a report to the Korean National Assembly. North Korea has previously claimed to have reprocessed all of its 8,000 spent fuel rods, but Washington and Seoul had treated those assertions as highly suspect (Soo-jeong Lee, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, July 9). A North Korean delegation in Seoul for talks said that a peaceful solution to the nuclear crisis is possible, despite “the black clouds of a nuclear war.” “Our nation faces a stark situation as the black clouds of a nuclear war are coming toward the Korean Peninsula minute by minute,” a North Korean statement said. “No one can fathom the calamitous consequences if the crisis situation crosses the critical point and ignites a war,” it added (Christopher Torchia, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, July 9). South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said today that North Korea would receive assistance if it dismantled its nuclear development program. “North Korea must dismantle its nuclear project,” Roh said in Beijing. “It has to choose the path of peace and coexistence with others. No nation in the international community believes that the nuclear project will assure its future,” he added. Roh also said that Pyongyang should not be isolated but “no nation has a right to threaten the security of neighboring states and the stability of the region” (Martin Parry, Agence France-Presse, July 9). Iranian Ship Visits North Korea Meanwhile, an Iranian cargo ship visited North Korea last week and may have picked up weapons, a South Korean newspaper reported. Intelligence officials said the ship docked at Haeju, 75 miles south of Pyongyang, according to the JoongAng Ilbo. The South Korean Defense Ministry did not confirm the report (Associated Press, July 8). Tokyo Businessman Knew Exports Were Going North The president of a Tokyo trading house that allegedly exported nuclear weapons components knew the shipments were destined for North Korea, the Sankei Shimbun reported today. “I thought they would be delivered to the North,” said Kim Hak Chun during questioning by police. The trading house, Meishin, allegedly intended to send the components to Pyongyang through Thailand (Kyodo News Service/BBC Monitoring, July 9).
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