South Korea Ready to Ship Fuel to North

South Korea is preparing to ship the first load of a 50,000-ton pledge of fuel oil to North Korea, which in turn is expected to begin shutting down its nuclear weapons program, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, July 3).

Seoul “is currently working on details related to the provision of heavy fuel oil,” said Vice Unification Minister Shin Eon-sang.

“We don’t expect any problem in sending the first shipment before July 14,” he added.

South Korea expects to provide the entire 50,000 tons, at a cost of $28 million.  The first 6,200 metric tons would be shipped to the Sunbong port in eastern North Korea, Shin said.

The fuel is intended to reward Pyongyang for halting operations at its plutonium-producing Yongbyon reactor under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.  It stands to receive another 950,000 tons of fuel oil or related assistance for fully declaring and shuttering its entire nuclear program (Bo-Mi Lim, Associated Press/International Herald Tribune, July 5).

The United States expressed no concerns about shipping a limited amount of fuel to North Korea before the reactor is closed, Reuters reported Tuesday.

“Our understanding is that the North Koreans have asked for some small portion of the overall 50,000 tons earlier on in the process,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.  “From our view, this is … something we don’t oppose” (Chris Buckley, Reuters/Washington Post, July 3).

Meanwhile, IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei this week delivered his report on “monitoring and verification by the IAEA of the shutdown of the Yongbyon nuclear facility and the reactor under construction in Taechon, that were reached between the IAEA team and the D.P.R.K. during their visit last week,” according to an agency press release.  The report was not made public (International Atomic Energy Agency release, July 3).

The Financial Times reported that the U.N. nuclear watchdog is to receive a list of closed and sealed sites, and access to those facilities.  It would be allowed to place monitoring technology at the locations.

“The agency will be informed in advance if the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea intends to move or remove any nuclear-related equipment or other essential equipment or components from the shut-down nuclear facilities or decommission any of these facilities,” the report states, according to the Times.

The schedule for the reactor shutdown remains unknown (Daniel Dombey, Financial Times, July 4).

China is working with all other nations involved in the six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program to resume negotiations, Agence France-Presse reported today.

“As for the resumption date for the six-party talks, relevant parties have presented their ideas and proposals,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov indicated that negotiators might meet next week, ITAR-Tass reported (Agence France-Presse/Spacewar.com, July 5).

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