IAEA Inspectors Scheduled to Arrive in Korea on September 19

IAEA inspectors are scheduled to be in Korea from September 19 until September 26 to proceed with additional inspections on nuclear experiments that Korea had performed in the past.

The government announced on September 15 that “the IAEA had reported this schedule and the additional inspections would be no more than ‘complementary access’ to last month’s inspections.”

The team of inspectors will consist of one official ranked as a chief inspector along with four others. The inspection team that came to Korea last month was led by the head director along with six other inspectors.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said, “When suspicions arise over the reports that IAEA member countries submitted, the IAEA usually sends another inspection team in addition to the first one. The IAEA will probably dispatch inspection team one or two more times.”

During its visit to Korea, the inspection team will most likely proceed to inspect the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daedeok, Daejeon and the Research Center situated in Gongreung-dong, Seoul where past uranium separation and plutonium separation experiments were made. The team will also focus their inspection on the unreported 15 kilograms of metallic uranium that the Korean government produced in the past.

A government official said, “If the IAEA finds any peculiarities in the Daedeok or Gongreung facilities, they may ask for additional access to other research facilities or power plants.”

On the other hand the IAEA has asked the Korean government to keep the inspection team’s schedules and activities highly confidential.

taewon_ha@donga.com