Plan begun on October 21, 1994
- Under the �Agreed Framework,� signed by SCNK and President Clinton, the U.S. agreed to build two nuclear power plants in SCNK if the Stalinist regime froze its nuclear weapons ambitions and its Yongbyon nuclear reactor � which could produce weapons-grade nuclear material.
- Until the plants are built, the U.S. agreed to provide SCNK fuel oil to make up for the energy loss
Resource Totals
- 2.91 million metric tons of oil handed over to SCNK (10/21/94 � 7/31/01)
- Annual oil shipment: 500,000 metric tons (150,000 were given in first year: 10/94-10/95)
- Annual value of oil given: $95.25 million
Money
- Over $1.25 Billion given to SCNK (1994-2001)
- U.S. share: over $310 million (1994-2001)
Verification of SCNK Compliance (try not to laugh) prior to the fall of 2002
- SCNK has �systematically refused to allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors into its nuclear facility at the Yongbyon research base north of the capital.�
- SCNK should be compliant with IAEA standards when �a signification portion� is completed under Agreed Framework (that would be the May 2005 date)
- SCNK says the IAEA inspection should start then, not finish then.
Events after the fall of 2002
- SCNK admitted to developing uranium-basednuclear weapons in the fall of 2002.
- U.S. suspended oil shipments in December 2002 to force end to uranium-based program.
- Yongbyon plant returned to "normal footing" in February 2003.
- SCNK boasted that it had nuclear weapons and threatened to export them in April of 2003.
- SCNK claimed to have finished reprocessing of plutonium rods at Yongbyon, and that it would "reprocess, without delay when necessary, more spent fuel rods to be produced in an unbroken chain from the five-megawatt nuclear reactor in Yongbyon."
- Nuclear power plant construction suspended for one year on November 21, 2003.
- IAEA finds that SCNK sold Libya 1.7 tons of semi-weaponized uranium in 2001
- American intelligence ups estimate of SCNK nuclear bombs to "at least eight."
- U.S. announces power plants will official be cancelled in December 2004.
- SCNK boasts that old plutonium rods have been converted to nuclear weapons.
Talks after the fall of 2002
- April 2003: Talks ended with aforementioned SCNK export threat.
- February 2004: Talks end with promise of a third round by June, but no actual progress.
- In the interim: the U.S. moves away from demand of complete SCNK nuclear disarmament to "coordinated steps" that will starting giving SCNK what it wants before it completely disarms.
Status of Agreed Framework nuclear reactors
- Despite the Stalinists' admissions and the Yongbyon restart, the half-finshed plants have only been put on hold (see above), not cancelled.
Final Points
Plan was supposed to stop SCNK from having nuclear power based on fuel that can be switched to weapons grade, but Non-proliferation Policy Education Centre head Henry Sokolski says it won�t work. Sokolski quote: �These reactors are like all reactors, They have the potential to make weapons. So you might end up supplying the worst nuclear violator with the means to acquire the very weapons we're trying to prevent it acquiring.�
Stalinist-controlled northern Korea has had since October of 2002 to hide its nuclear arsenal and equipment to produce weapons.
Sources:
Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization Annual Report 2002, KEDO
"US grants N Korea nuclear funds", BBC, 4/3/02
Peter Slevin and Karen DeYoung, "N. Korea Admits Having Secret Nuclear Arms", Washington Post, 10/16/02
"Oil shipments to N Korea frozen", CNN, 11/15/02
"N Korea nuclear site 'reactivated'", BBC, 2/5/03
"N. Korea 'admits having nukes'", CNN, 4/24/03
Glenn Kessler, "N. Korea Says It Has Nuclear Arms", Washington Post, 4/25/03
"Alarm at N Korea nuclear claim", BBC, 10/3/03
"Consortium halts North Korean reactor project", CNN 11/22/03
"U.S. Agrees to Statement on North Korea Talks", Washington Post, 12/8/03
"US and allies agree N Korea plan", BBC, 12/8/03
"North Korea nuclear talks make scant progress", CNN, 2/29/04
"Parties to Nuclear Talks Hail Small Gains, Differ Over Success", Cybercast News, 3/1/04
"N. Korea Nuclear Estimate To Rise", Washington Post, 4/28/04
"N. Korea flirts with 'red line'", Christian Science Monitor, 5/28/04
"U.S. to abandon N. Korea project", Washington Times, 5/28/04
"N Korea warns on nuclear rods", BBC, 9/28/04
Compiled by the China e-Lobby