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IAEA Rebukes South Korea; Does Not Refer to Security Council By Greg Webb VIENNA — South Korea received a mild rebuke today from the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors in response to recent disclosures of past nuclear research (see GSN, Nov. 23). The 35-nation board began a quarterly meeting here yesterday, in part to discuss South Korea’s revelations that it had conducted previously undisclosed plutonium separation tests in the 1980s and uranium enrichment experiments as recently as 2000. In the enrichment experiments, scientists created small amounts of nearly weapon-grade uranium (see GSN, Nov. 12). In its action today, the 35-nation board notably did not refer the matter to the U.N. Security Council, as the United States had earlier advocated, nor did it ask for any specific follow-up reports. Instead, the board “requested that the director general report as appropriate,” according to the statement. The statement criticized “the failure of the Republic of Korea to report these activities in accordance with its safeguards agreements,” calling the lapse a “serious concern.” That criticism was counterbalanced, however, by language noting South Korea’s cooperation with the agency. In addition, “the quantities of nuclear materials involved have not been significant,” the statement says, and “there is no indication that the undeclared experiments have continued.” South Korean officials praised the statement. “We think it was a good conclusion of the Korean case,” said Joon Oh, director general of the South Korean Foreign Ministry’s international organizations division. There may well be more to it, however. In remarks yesterday to the board, agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei suggested that the agency would continue to investigate South Korea’s recent disclosures. Whether his findings would require another formal report to the board remains uncertain. “That I cannot prejudge, but it’s not very likely in my opinion,” Oh said. One nonproliferation expert expected that more details of South Korean nuclear activities would come to light. “The investigation isn’t over yet,” said David Albright, head of the Institute for Science and International Security. “South Korea hasn’t revealed everything they have to reveal.” South Korea sent a large diplomatic force to Vienna this week to dissuade the board from sending their case to the U.N. Security Council. Seoul was reportedly concerned that a council referral would give North Korea rhetorical ammunition in its own nuclear crisis. The South Korean delegation may have succeeded in expressing that fear to the board. “The board would not want to hand North Korea some kind of club to hammer South Korea with,” Albright said. Three nations were the target of the South Korean campaign here. The United States, the United Kingdom and Canada had initially called for the U.N. referral, but the first two were persuaded to drop the demand, according to a Western diplomat familiar with IAEA affairs. Canada, however, took more time as it sought language reaffirming the importance of the South Korean transitions. Perhaps slowing the process was Canada’s role as chair of this board meeting. Ultimately, Canada did not insist on the U.N. referral and the statement restates ElBaradei’s finding that South Korean actions were “of serious concern.”
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