Chosun Shinbo once again denied North Korea’s alleged nuclear connection with Syria, saying the allegation was unfounded.
“North Korea clearly stipulated its commitment not to transfer nuclear materials, technology, or know-how in the October 3 Agreement. That alone should dismiss the allegation,” said Chosun Shinbo in the article published in its internet edition under the title, “The U.S.’ maneuver against North Korea (Part II)- Arbitrary stigmatization against North Korea as one responsible for nuclear proliferation.” Chosun Shinbo is a pro-Pyongyang newspaper published by Chongryon (the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan).
The Foreign Ministry spokesman of North Korea also said on January 4, “The North Korea has already stipulated its commitment not to transfer nuclear materials, technology or know-how under the October 3 Agreement. That fact itself is enough to dismiss the allegation against North Korea.”
Chonsun Shinbo denounced those neoconservative forces of the U.S. saying, “American hard-line conservatives are arguing that North Korea should include an explanation about the allegation when it submits a declaration of nuclear programs. By doing so, they are trying to sway the media to their side and putting an obstacle to the efforts to settle the current nuclear dispute.”
“The allegation of North Korea’s nuclear collaboration with Syria began circulating in the U.S. media in September last year. However, the Six Party Talks meeting that took place shortly after did not make a big issue out of the allegation,” Chosun Shinbo said.
The newspaper stressed that U.S. envoy Christopher Hill also dismissed the allegation at the closed session meeting of U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian Pacific Affairs that took place on December 12 last year.
At that time, South Korean media reported that Hill had said at the meeting that whether or not North Korea collaborated with Syria on a nuclear program in the past would not have any influence on the current nuclear negotiations between North Korea and the U.S. as long as North Korea has no nuclear connection with Syria at the present time. However, Hill was also reported to have said that North Korea must prove that North Korea did and will not pose a nuclear threat regardless of whether or not North Korea engaged in any nuclear proliferation activities in the past
In addition, Chosun Shinbo contended that it is unfair to demand North Korea to provide an explanation about the allegation of UEP (Uranium Enrichment Program). The newspaper quoted David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) as saying, “No one believes that North Korea has technology to use a uranium enrichment program to develop nuclear weapons.”
On February 10, David Albright said in his interview with Radio Free Asia that what needs to be declared by North Korea is plutonium and the U.S. should not lower the bar for declaration standards. However, the U.S. needs to extend the deadline for declaration and makes sure North Korea declares its plutonium stockpile, said David Albright.
David Albright said that he confirmed from a high rank official that North Korea declared to have produced a total of 30 kg of plutonium in its first declaration draft. He added that although the issues of UEP and nuclear proliferation can be discussed later, North Korea must provide a full and complete declaration of its nuclear facilities.
