North Korea says it will continue to co-operate with the United States on ending its nuclear program and agrees that stalled talks need to resume. The country’s foreign ministry said Pyongyang would work with Washington to “narrow remaining differences”. The announcement comes following a visit to Pyongyang by President Obama’s special envoy Stephen Bosworth. This was the country’s first official reaction after three days of talks. Ambassador Bosworth had earlier described the talks as “useful” but said he did not know when talks would be resumed. These were the first official discussions between the US and North Korea since Mr Obama took office.
North Korea walked away from six-party nuclear talks earlier this year, but then said it could return.
These discussions – involving the US, China, Russia, Japan and the two Koreas – are aimed at getting rid of the North’s nuclear capabilities.
The forum reached deals in 2005 and 2007, under which the North shut down its plants at Yongbyon and began disabling them in return for aid and security guarantees. But the last talks were in December 2008, and in April this year North Korea said the negotiations were over for good, following widespread condemnation of its long-range missile launch. A month later, tensions rose still further when the North conducted an underground nuclear test.
New sanctions
In June, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to impose tougher sanctions on communist North Korea following the nuclear test carried by Pyongyang in defiance of previous UN resolutions.
The sanctions include the inspection of North Korean ships, a wider ban on arms sales and other financial measures. The U.S. deputy ambassador at the UN, Rosemary DiCarlo, said the new vote was a strong and united response to North Korea’s “unacceptable behavior”.
The Chinese ambassador, Zhang Yesui, said the resolution showed the “firm opposition” of the world to North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. “We strongly urge the DPRK (North Korea) to honor its commitment to denuclearization, stop any moves that may further worsen the situation, and return to the six-party talks,” the ambassador said. North Korea carried out a nuclear test – its second – on May 25th. It then launched a number of short-range missiles.
President Barack Obama described the North Korean action in May as a threat to international peace. President Obama on North Korea
On May 27th, North Korea announced it is abandoning the truce that ended the Korean war, amid rising tension in the region. It blamed its decision on South Korea joining a US-led initiative to search ships for nuclear weapons. It said the South’s actions were a “declaration of war”, and pledged to attack if its ships were stopped. The move is part of an increasingly hard line being taken by North Korea, and came two days after it conducted an underground nuclear test.
North Korea abandons international talks
North Korea's "satellite" launch
In April North Korea walked out on international talks to end its nuclear program, and said it would restore its disabled nuclear reactor. The unusually strong statement followed criticism by the UN Security Council of a recent rocket launch, which critics say was a long-range missile test. North Korea said the launch in April was part of a peaceful space program, designed to put a satellite into orbit. China and Russia have appealed for the North to return to negotiations.
Pyongyang also ordered UN nuclear inspectors to leave the country and told the International Atomic Energy Agency to remove seals and equipment from the Yongbyon reactor and said that it would reactivate all its nuclear facilities, the watchdog said.
Pyongyang said it launched a satellite on April 5 but its neighbors said it was testing missile technology. The U.S., South Korea and Japan have all condemned the launch from the Musudan-ri base in the north-east of the communist country. They say it violates a UN Security Council resolution adopted in October 2006 which bans North Korea from carrying out ballistic missile activity. Susan Rice, the American envoy to the UN, called Pyongyang’s move a “clear-cut violation of [resolution] 1718″, while her Japanese counterpart said Tokyo was seeking a “clear, firm and unified” response.
Undated North Korean missile test
When North Korea tested its Taepodong-1 missile in 1998, it claimed to have put a satellite in orbit. In July 2006 it test-fired the three-stage long-range Taepodong-2, but the missile failed shortly after launch. North Korea’s move comes amid heightened tensions with South Korea, and with Pyongyang pushing for a top spot on the agenda of the new U.S. administration.
North Korea’s nukes
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Previous nuclear disarmament
American nuclear inspector in North Korea
In October 2008, the Washington finally removed North Korea from a terrorism blacklist, and in return Pyongyang agreed to provide full access to its nuclear program. The two sides now differ on the terms of verification that were agreed as part of the deal. North Korea insists it never said samples of atomic material could be taken away for examination, but the U.S. asserts that the North did consent to the procedure.
For years, the North has been locked in discussions over its nuclear ambitions with five other nations – the U.S., South Korea, China, Russia, and Japan. In June 2008 the regime blew up the cooling tower of its Yongbyon facility in a symbolic gesture of its commitment to the process.
Video: Demolition of Yongbyon cooling tower
Also in June 2008 North Korea handed over a long-awaited account of its nuclear program to China. President George W Bush cautiously welcomed the move at the time but said the U.S. still had “serious concerns” about Pyongyang. North Korea had previoulsy blamed the deadlocked nuclear talks on the U.S., accusing it of raising “unjust demands”.
North Korea successfully tested a nuclear device on October 9th, 2006, and analysts believe it may have any a number of atomic bombs ranging from one to eight or more. However, it is not believed that the country has yet succeeded in building a nuclear weapon that could be fitted on to a missile.
Despite the nuclear agreement Pyongyang tested another ballistic missile in June 2007. The White House said it was “deeply troubled” by the move, which happened at a “delicate time” in international negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear decommissioning.
In May 2007 North Korea conducted a series of missile test after previously having test-fired missiles in July 2006. World powers have condemned the North Korean tests – the test in 2006 is believed to have included a long-range Taepodong-2, but according to U.S. assessments at the time, that missile failed shortly after take-off.
North Korea’s nuclear weapons program along with its missile development, has been a major source of concern in the region. North Korea is estimated to have more than 800 ballistic missiles. The communist regime first obtained tactical missiles from the Soviet Union, as early as 1969, but its first Scuds reportedly came via Egypt in 1976.
These are the key weapons of its missile program:
Taepodong-2 (long range)
Taepodong 2
Taepodong-1 (intermediate range)
The Taepodong-1 is a two-stage missile comprising Nodong and Scud parts and has a estimated range of 1,300 miles (2,200km). It could reach US bases in Okinawa, Japan. North Korea tested a Taepodong-1 in August 1998, firing a missile over northern Japan. But it is said to be even less accurate than the Nodong (see below) and it must be fired from a fixed location and has a long preparation time. That means potential launches could be detected relatively early on.
Another Taepodong missile, the Taepodong-X, is also said to be under development but has not yet been tested. Based on a Soviet submarine-launched ballistic missile, it is a land-based missile, thought to have a range of up to 2,400 miles (4,000km), able to reach US bases on Guam. Unlike the Taepodong-1, it could be fired from mobile launch systems hidden from view.
Nodong Missile (medium range)
The Nodong missile is thought to have a range of around 600 miles (1,000km) and could potentially carry a nuclear warhead. But it too is not very accurate. The Nodong could strike most of Japan but not with any accuracy. If it were fired on a military target, its inaccuracy could lead to high levels of civilian casualties. The missile was test fired in May 1993.
Short Range Missiles
North Korea has a variety of short-range missiles. The KN-02 is thought to be the most accurate, but its range – around 60 miles – is the shortest. The Scud-B and C have ranges of 200 and 300 miles respectively, while the Scud-D is believed to have a range of over 400 miles. It is thought that these missiles could deliver conventional warheads. The Scud-B, C and D have all been tested and deployed. These missiles would enable North Korea to strike any area in South Korea. The KN-02 missile, currently in the testing stage, could be aimed at key targets in South Korea such as military installations south of the border.
Musudan-ri launch site
Musudan-ri is the main launch site in the country’s North Hamgyong province, on the country’s northeastern coast. The area was formerly known as Taepodong, which gave the Taepodong rockets their name. Since 1984 Hwasong, Nodong and Taepodong rockets have been launched from the site. The facilities at Musudan-ri are reported to be modest, consisting of a launch pad, an engine test stand, a missile assembly building, and a missile control center. In 1998, North Korean media reported the successful launch of a satellite by a Taepodong rocket from Musudan-ri. North Korea says the satellite successfully reached orbit, but no independent sources have confirmed this.
From the BBC:
FAQ North Korea Nuclear Standoff
Timeline of Nuclear Crisis
Profile of North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Il
Again we have the issue of nuclear science hegemony woven throughout a report purportedly seeking to provide basic back round information to deepen reader understanding while never acknowledging the issue directly. The hypocrisy of the largest and most aggressive military power in the world lecturing one of the smallest and poorest nations about its military threat dwarfs the minutia of what the US administration parrots about world threats and security as salient points of significance. There seems to be a knowledge vacuum when it comes to critical analysis of the US corporate slanted perspective. I know this reporter has a deeper understanding of the issues being discussed. I can only assume the prevailing view at the BBC censors intelligent debate about such thinking and that is a crime.