DPRK denounces US intention to stop nuclear reactor project

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 07, 2003

DPRK denounces US intention to stop nuclear reactor project

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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will "take the most appropriate measure when necessary" if the United States stops the construction of light water reactors (LWRs), a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Thursday.

The US intention to stop the construction is unilaterally in breach of the DPRK-US Agreed Framework, the spokesman said, adding that the DPRK will never allow them to take out all the equipment, facilities, materials and technical documents from the Kumho area, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The US government is reportedly contemplating putting the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) in motion to decide to stop the construction of the light water reactors and formally declare it, he said.

"If this is true, it would mean that the US would stop the construction of LWRs in the wake of its suspension of the supply of heavy fuel oil and thus unilaterally and finally scrap the DKPK-US Agreed Framework," the spokesman said.

"This is nothing surprising to the DPRK as it had already expected it. What matters is why Washington is so getting on the nerves of the DPRK at a time when the resumption of the six-party talks is high on the agenda," the spokesman said.

"This compels the DPRK to doubt whether the US would come out to make a switch over in its policy toward the DPRK in case the six-party talks are resumed in the future," he added.

"The present situation clearly shows us what we should do to cope with the US pressurizing position. It also provides the DPRK with a reason strong enough to take the most appropriate measure when necessary," the DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

"The DPRK has so far suffered huge political and economic losses due to the US noncompliance with the agreement on the provision of the LWRs," the spokesman continued.

The US and KEDO are "obliged to make full compensations to the DPRK under relevant articles of the LWRs agreement," as Washington has caused such huge losses to the DPRK by refusing to fulfill its commitments under the AF."

"The DPRK will hold them accountable for this to the last. It will never allow them to take out all the equipment, facilities, materials and technical documents now in Kumho area for the LWR construction till this issue is settled," the spokesman concluded.

Officials from the United States, Japan, South Korea and the European Union, which form the executive board of KEDO, met in NewYork Monday to discuss the suspension of the project.

US representatives insisted at the meeting that the construction project should be scrapped, while South Korea, Japan and the European Union preferred a one-year suspension.

Under the 1994 agreement, which froze a plutonium facility at Yongbyon, the United States supplied heavy fuel oil to the DPRK to ease its pressing electrical needs and assisted in the construction of the light-water reactors.

Construction of the light-water reactors thus has continued even though Pyongyang disclosed last year it had violated the accord, quit the nuclear nonproliferation treaty and announced it was building nuclear weapons.

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