NK May Sell its Plutonium to Terrorist Organizations

"A concern the international community shares is that North Korea, in its desire for hard currency, will sell weapons-grade plutonium to some terrorist organizations," said Gen. Leon J. LaPorte, the Commander of U.S. Forces in Korea, on November 19, "and that would be disastrous to the world."

That was his answer to the question given at the breakfast meeting hosted by the Air-force Community of Reserve Officers (ACRO) held at Chosun Hotel, Seoul asking for his opinion on President Roh Moo-hyun’s interpretation given on November 13 in Los Angeles, United States, which considered North Korea’s nuclear program as a self-defense mechanism.

General LaPorte’s answer is in direct opposition to President Roh’s remark which said, “North Korea’s claim about the nuclear weapons and missiles being a self-defense mechanism has a point, while North Korea did not take part in terrorism nor supported one since 1987, and there is no evidence of the country being involved with any terrorist organizations.”

Ho-Won Choi bestiger@donga.com