U.S., Japan, Russia Reject North Korean Light Water Reactor Demand

When North Korea announced in a Foreign Ministry statement on September 20 that it would not give up nuclear weapons before receiving a light water reactor, the other participants of the 6-party talks said that would not be acceptable.

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, “This was obviously not the agreement they signed, and we will see what the coming weeks bring.”

Japan`s Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said, “The North`s demand is unacceptable,” and pointed out that at the end of the six-party talks, “South Korea, the U.S., and Japan agreed to discuss (the provision) of a light-water reactor to North Korea after North Korea dismantles its nuclear programs and joins the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).”

Alexander Alexeyev, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, reiterated that Russia cannot give energy assistance to DPRK unless it returns to the NPT.

The Russian chief negotiator said, “A very important point in the joint statement is that the DPRK abandons all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs. We will continue our negotiations based on these clear principles.”

Yi-Young Cho lycho@donga.com