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DPRK Urges IAEA to be Impartial in Nuclear Inspection
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday rejected the demand of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to verify the accuracy and state of completion of the initial report on the country's nuclear materials.
The DPRK also urged the IAEA to be neutral and impartial in its nuclear inspections.
According to the accord signed by the two countries in 1994, the DPRK must stop its own nuclear power program, in return, a consortium funded by the United States, Japan and South Korea will build two light-water reactors in the DPRK. The verification of the initial report will be discussed only after most of the light- water-reactor power projects are completed.
However, the construction of the projects has been delayed and the groundwork has not yet started, said a commentary carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
The IAEA's demand for verifying the initial report violates the DPRK-U.S. accord, and reveals the intention of the IAEA to cater to the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK, said the commentary.
The commentary strongly criticized IAEA Director General Mohamed Baradei for issuing a report on June 11 that urged the IAEA to take action as soon as possible to verify the initial report.
Baradei's proposal was made at a time when the United States was calling for an early "special inspection of the nuclear- related facilities" of the DPRK, the commentary said, adding that the IAEA should abide by the principle of neutrality and impartiality.
If the IAEA has a true will to solve the DPRK nuclear issue, it should blame the U.S. for delaying the construction of the two light-water-reactor projects instead of hastily calling for verifying the initial report, the commentary said.
The DPRK has been sincere in guaranteeing the IAEA inspection over the nuclear freeze and will continue to fulfill its commitment in the future, the commentary noted.
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