[imText1]Yunhap News reported on Sunday quoting a government source that a decision has to be made as to how to dispose of the North’s nuclear fuel rods including the used rods during the current process of disabling the North’s nuclear facilities and dismantling its nuclear programs. Yanhap News quoted the source as saying, “As one of many options, the South Korean government is considering to purchase the North’s fuel rods and bring them into the South.”
The South Korean government also has in mind that the relocation will effectively remove the North’s weapons-grade plutonium materials out of the country and the transferred materials can be used as fuel at atomic power plants in the South, the source reported.
Currently, nuclear facilities at Yongbyon are being disabled in accordance with the implementation of the second-phase actions of the February 13 Agreement. A group of nuclear experts from the US is reportedly preparing to remove around 8,000 used fuel rods from a 5 megawatt nuclear reactor at Yongbyon.
The source said that the North would not be able to reactivate its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon once the fuel rods are removed and the South might purchase the rods and use them at South Korea’s atomic power plants. Otherwise, the source said the fuel rods can be transferred to a third country and that matter can be discussed at the future Six Party Talks.
The South Korean government may consider about bringing the fuel rods into the South. However, what is more critical at this point is how thoroughly the North would declare its nuclear programs.
There are three major issues in focus: the usage of 50 kg of plutonium, a correct declaration of its uranium enrichment program, facilities and equipment, and declaration of nuclear transactions with Syria, if any.
The South Korean government must be clear about the North’s nuclear declaration prior to discussing less important matters such as bringing the fuel rods into the South.
Nevertheless, it should be noted why the government source spoke about the possible relocation of the North’s fuel rods to the South at this point of time. The fact that the South Korean government released such “progressive” information in the middle of the process of dismantling the North’s nuclear programs can mislead the South Korean people into believing that the North’s nuclear problems are almost solved.
Lately, Kim Yang Gun, the director of the United Front Department of Chosun (North Korea) Workers’ Party has paid a visit to the South. His somewhat rare visit continues to arouse suspicions.
Technically, the United Front Department of the Worker’s Party does not deal with nuclear conflicts, diplomatic affairs, or issues of inter-Korean economic cooperation. The department mainly takes care of the country’s intelligence works over the South such as propaganda broadcasting toward South Korea, organizing pro-North Korean groups among overseas Koreans, scattering pro-North Korea leaflets over the South soil, waging psychological warfare with South Korean people and others. That is, if the nuclear issues or diplomatic affairs are related to the North’s operation works against the South, the department takes the charge.
His visit is one of his department’s intelligence works against the South. The director Kim Yang Gun must have visited Seoul for the purpose of persuading the South to act as an intermediary in easing the North’s conflicts with the US over the declaration of its nuclear programs.
South Korean presidential spokesman Chun Ho Sun said that President Roh said to the director Kim Yang Gun, “The North needs to continue to carry out agreements made at the Six-Party Talks and work hard to improve its relations with the US.” The president added, “Such efforts would also help implement the agreements of the inter-Korean Summit.”
The President Roh clearly stated the importance of the North’s denuclearization and improvement of its relations with the US. From the words of the president, it can be inferred that Kim Jong Il, too, delivered similar messages to the President Roh via the director Kim Yang Gun.
The North hopes that both the South and China would support its declaration of nuclear programs upon submission. In the mean time, the US emphasizes the North must genuinely deal with the listed three major issues of the second-phase actions towards denuclearization. Otherwise, the US Congress would not remove the North from Washington’s list of terrorism-sponsoring countries. In particular, the US would demand sufficient clarification on the North’s UEP because there is evidence for that.
The problem is that Kim Jong Il might deceive the South Korean government about its nuclear declaration through the words of Kim Yang Gun and the South Korean government might believe the lie. However, as of now, nothing is known about exactly what Kim Yang Gun has said to the President Roh.
Christopher HIll visited Pyongyang and Baek Jong Chun, chief presidential secretary for security affairs, visited the US on the 3rd of December.
From this time on, any news on the North’s nuclear programs will deal with the listed three major issues. Closely looking at how the South Korean government stands on these issues will help unravel the mystery behind Kim Yang Gun’s rare visit to Seoul.
