North Korea: Nuclear Plant Not Being Rebuilt

South Korea’s foreign minister said today North Korea is not close to restoring its ageing nuclear plant at Yongbyon, knocking down a report that the secretive state could soon resume operations at its plutonium-producing facility.

[Yu Myung-hwan, South Korean Foreign Minister]:
„I cannot tell you in details, but what we know is that they are not yet at that kind of stage.“

Yu also says Pyongyang would still be subject to U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed in May this year, even after it returns to the often stalled six-way nuclear disarmament talks.

[Yu Myung-hwan, South Korean Foreign Minister]:
„(It is the position of not only South Korea and the United States but also Japan, Russia and China that) sanctions cannot be lifted or suspended just because the North returns to dialogue after the second nuclear test.“

On Tuesday North Korea signaled it could return to nuclear disarmament-for-aid talks after the Chinese unveiled a massive package of aid and development projects for the North.

In 2007, North Korea began taking apart its nuclear plant under the six-way deal in return for aid but resumed part of the plant earlier this year after further U.N. sanctions.

(NTDTV)