U.S. presses N. Korea on nuclear inspections
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U.S. officials urged North Korea on Aug. 7 to come clean about its past nuclear activity, as international efforts to build safe nuclear reactors in North Korea celebrated a significant breakthrough.
Construction started on a new nuclear reactor in Kumho, near the Russian border, under the Agreed Framework signed by Pyongyang and Washington in 1994 to avert a nuclear crisis.
Under the accord, North Korea agreed to freeze its nuclear development program in return for economic and other benefits from the United States.
The Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) was set up to build a $5 billion (¥560 billion) nuclear power plant with two 1,000-megawatt light-water reactors.
But U.S. envoy for Korea, Jack Pritchard, warned that North Korea must allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect controversial nuclear facilities and comply with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty for the project to continue.
The first stage of the program had been delayed by bickering between KEDO and North Korea, as well as international concern over North Korea's nuclear and missile development programs.
米国、北朝鮮の核開発査察を要求
北朝鮮・琴湖での軽水炉施設着工後、アメリカは北朝鮮政府に、核査察に前向きな姿勢を示すよう要求した。
Shukan ST: Aug. 16, 2002
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