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North Korea: Spent-Fuel Reprocessing Underway, Pyongyang Announces North Korea announced today that it is “successfully reprocessing 8,000 spent fuel rods” to extract plutonium that could be used for nuclear weapons, the New York Times reported (see GSN, April 17). The state-run Korean Central News Agency made the announcement, though U.S. and South Korean officials have said this week there is no evidence reprocessing has begun. U.S. officials did not comment on today’s development, according to the Times. The news broke as U.S., South Korean and Japanese officials met in Washington to discuss a negotiating strategy for next week’s talks with China and North Korea (Don Kirk, New York Times, April 18). China recently promised to take an active role in the talks, a position that persuaded Washington to agree to the meetings, Reuters reported today. Chinese officials told their U.S. counterparts that “we’re very serious about this and we will be a substantive partner,” according to a senior U.S. official. U.S. President George W. Bush was concerned that China would get U.S. and North Korean diplomats in the same room, convene the meeting and then leave. “If they (Chinese) got up and left the room and never came back, that would be a problem,” the official added. Washington characterized the meetings, scheduled to take place next week, as an exchange of ideas. “There are not going to be any substantive discussions until this conference expands to include at least South Korea and Japan,” the senior official said. Washington is also concerned that Pyongyang will try to use the negotiations to arrange a bilateral meeting with the United States. “If the North Koreans are coming thinking the only subject to discuss is how to move this to be a smaller conference, from three to two [participants], then it’ll be a real short meeting,” according to the official. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said the meeting will be “an opportunity to lower tensions … And I hope the North Koreans approach this meeting in that sphere” (Carol Giacomo, Reuters, April 18). China’s ambassador to South Korea, however, said that the difference in opinion lies between the United States and North Korea. “I don’t think China plans to mediate,” Ambassador Li Bin said yesterday. “Although China can play a constructive role, it is the two parties involved that should solve the problem. How much the problem could be resolved is up to how the two parties work,” Li added (Jae-suk Yoo, Associated Press/Sacramento Bee, April 18). A diplomatic source in Beijing warned that China would most likely avoid getting too deeply involved in the talks. “China’s role is likely to be significant, but it doesn’t want to get directly involved in the brawl,” he added. Another Western diplomat believes that China will try to keep the two parties at the table long enough for a breakthrough to be reached. “There’s a deep sense of mistrust between the parties which could preclude a settlement,” said the diplomat. “If the Chinese can keep them at the table long enough, it might break the stalemate,” the diplomat added. The diplomat dismissed some Chinese assertions that it was only bringing the two rivals together. “The possibility of a war on the Korean Peninsula has become too real for the Chinese to ignore,” he added. Fearing a U.S. military strike against North Korea, Chinese defense officials have asked President Hu Jintao to increase military assistance to Pyongyang, United Press International reported today. “Senior Chinese military officials are very concerned about losing the North Korean buffer zone,” said one Asian diplomat, adding “After the war in Iraq, there are fears of a pre-emptive U.S. military strike on North Korea” (Christian Wade, United Press International, April 18). South Korea’s ambassador to the United States, Han Sung-joo, said today that any deal that comes from these talks will be more detailed than the 1994 Agreed Framework. “This is going to be an arduous, long process. It’s not going to be a cakewalk,” Han said (Jae-suk Yoo, Associated Press/Sacramento Bee).
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