Pyongyang restarts Yongbyon reactor, Catholic Source says NK is prepared to do anything
Seoul (AsiaNews) - North Korea's Stalinist regime announced this morning that it was prepared to "restart" the Yongbyon nuclear reactor, shut down in 2007 during a thaw in relations with the international community, official state-run news agency KCNA reported. Until a month ago, the news agency published first in a Korean, and a day later in English and Spanish. Following rising tensions, its reports in those two languages are available on the same days as in Korean.
The reactor in question has a capacity of 5 megawatts. It was shut down in 2007 as part of an agreement reached following six-party talks on nuclear disarmament. However, in December 2008, Pyongyang quit the talks, beginning an aggressive policy towards South Korea. The former involve the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan.
The latest move has two purposes: it allows the North to extract plutonium from spent fuel rods and shows that the heir to the late 'dear leader' Kim Jong-il, his third son Kim Jong-un, has completely abandoned the path of diplomacy.
Lastly, the decision follows up with a practical action North Korea's announcement that it would bolster its nuclear forces "in quality and quantity".
"Our nuclear strength is a reliable war deterrent and a guarantee to protect our sovereignty," Kim Jong-un told the Supreme People's Assembly Korea (North Korea's parliament). "It is on the basis of a strong nuclear strength that peace and prosperity can exist and so can the happiness of people's lives," he explained.
In his address, the dictator pointed the finger at his "enemies", beginning with the United States, which he blamed for dragging North Korea into an arms race. He also stressed the need to boost economic development. In fact, he slammed Washington and its allies for undermining the country's economic development.
"The situation is worse because the young Kim seems prepared to do anything," a Catholic source operating in the humanitarian field in North Korea told AsiaNews.
"The worst thing is that we were able to resume sending some humanitarian aid and were preparing for more," he added.
Seoul had stopped aid in 2011 after the sinking of a South Korean corvette, the ROKS Cheonan, by the North Korean military.
The first shipment "was scheduled for mid-April and included anti-TB drugs and food for the population. For ordinary people in the North, life is terrible."
"It had taken us nearly a year to reach an agreement with the parties concerned. Now I do not know what will happen. Threats change on a daily basis, consequently the attitude not only of Seoul but of the entire international community."
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12/02/2016 15:14
16/05/2005
