International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors are scheduled Jan. 12 to begin a weeklong visit to a North Korean isotope production laboratory, a government source told Agence France-Presse.  Officials announced in early December North Korea would allow the limited inspection in the Yongbyong nuclear complex north of Pyongyang (see GSN, Dec. 3). 

The IAEA welcomed the offer to tour the isotope facility, but said it falls far short of the agency's goal.  The agency wants to inspect facilities from North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, which the country agreed to freeze in 1994 in exchange for construction of two light-water nuclear reactors.

The agency has said it wants full access to the Yongbyong site, where many experts suspect North Korea produced weapon-grade plutonium.  North Korea has said it would refuse to allow the IAEA access to those sites until the international consortium building the reactors—the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization—completes a significant portion of the project (Agence France-Presse, Jan. 7).

North Korea Opposes KEDO Communication Satellite

Meanwhile, a senior North Korean official said last week that North Korea opposes a KEDO proposal to construct an independent satellite communication system, according to Seoul Yonhap. The satellite would allow South Korea to link to the KEDO construction site in North Korea (see GSN, Nov. 9).

North Korean officials opposed the proposal during KEDO-North Korea negotiations in November because of security concerns, Yonhap reported.  KEDO planned to continue attempts to persuade North Korea to allow the communication system, the official said, adding that the system was "essential for constructing the nuclear reactors" (Seoul Yonhap, Jan. 3 in FBIS-EAS, Jan. 4).

About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines

HOME  |  CONTACT US  |  GET INVOLVED  |  SITE MAP

Back to top