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N. Korea arms 'not confirmed': Chung

SEOUL (AP) - South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong Young said Feb. 14 that it is still too early to declare North Korea a nuclear power despite its claim to having atomic weapons, because the arms haven't been tested or even confirmed to exist.

North Korea announced Feb. 10 that it has built nuclear weapons and will be staying away from international disarmament talks.

The claim could not be independently verified, but it dramatically raised tensions in the two-year standoff that began after American officials said that North Korea admitted to restarting its nuclear program in violation of a bilateral agreement.

Chung noted North Korea has said it has atomic weapons at least 10 times since 2003 through official and unofficial channels, and said the most recent announcement appears to be a negotiating tactic for the nuclear talks.

"It's definite that North Korea possesses 10 to 14 kilograms of plutonium that can make one or two nuclear weapons," he said. However, he added there is no "conclusive evidence that North Korea made plutonium bombs" with the material, but that other countries only suspect North Korea has one or two nuclear bombs.

Inter-Korean talks have been stalled since last year.

Shukan ST: Feb. 25, 2005

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World News N. Korea arms 'not confirmed': Chung SEOUL (AP) - South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong Young said Feb. 14 that it is still too early to declare North Korea a nuclear power despite its claim to having atomic weapons, because the arms haven't been tested or even confirmed to exist. North Korea announced Feb. 10 that it has built nuclear weapons and will be staying away from international disarmament talks. The claim could not be independently verified, but it dramatically raised tensions in the two-year standoff that began after American officials said that North Korea admitted to restarting its nuclear program in violation of a bilateral agreement. Chung noted North Korea has said it has atomic weapons at least 10 times since 2003 through official and unofficial channels, and said the most recent announcement appears to be a negotiating tactic for the nuclear talks. "It's definite that North Korea possesses 10 to 14 kilograms of plutonium that can make one or two nuclear weapons," he said. However, he added there is no "conclusive evidence that North Korea made plutonium bombs" with the material, but that other countries only suspect North Korea has one or two nuclear bombs. Inter-Korean talks have been stalled since last year. Shukan ST: Feb. 25, 2005 (C) All rights reserved