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North Korean Light-Water Reactor Construction Likely to Be Suspended for Another Year

North Korean Light-Water Reactor Construction Likely to Be Suspended for Another Year

Posted September. 06, 2004 21:48,   

Korea, the U.S., and Japan have tentatively agreed to extend the suspension of light-water reactor construction in North Korea, a project led by the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO), according to the Yomiuri Shimbun on September 6.

The decision of the three countries is to pressure North Korea to completely abandon its nuclear development programs by leaving the door open for the reactor project`s resumption in the future.

The KEDO will make an official decision on the one-year extension at its board meeting on October 13 in New York.

The reactor project, as included in the 1994 Agreed Framework signed between the U.S. and North Korea in exchange for North Korea’s nuclear freeze, was initiated in 1997, but has been at a standstill since the North admitted to running a covert uranium enrichment program last year.

Both Korea and Japan are responsible for 90 percent of the project budget of $4.6 billion. Korea has invested $1.1 billion and Japan has invested $390 million as of June of this year.



Won-Jae Park parkwj@donga.com