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New start needed for N.Korea reactors, South says
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-10-02 14:36

SEOUL (Reuters) - A frozen project to give North Korea nuclear reactors should be scrapped to draw a line between that and any new deal to give such plants to Pyongyang if it gives up its atomic weapons, South Korea's foreign minister said.

In a weekend interview with Reuters, Ban Ki-moon said it was possible the project site -- where work has been suspended since late 2002 -- could be used if the North fulfils its part of a joint statement agreed at six-country arms talks last month.

An international consortium was founded a decade ago to implement a 1994 nuclear deal under which the North agreed to halt its nuclear program in return for two light-water nuclear power plants at Sinpo in North Korea and other fuel supplies.

But the project run by KEDO -- short for the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization -- has been suspended since late 2002 after Washington accused the North of cheating on the deal.

"Basically we have to make some distinction between the light-water reactors in Sinpo and this," said Ban, referring to the six-party joint statement agreed in Beijing last month at talks intended to rein in the North's nuclear ambitions again.

In that statement, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States promised to consider giving the North light-water plants if it gives up its nuclear aims.

The six countries meet again in November to start negotiating the timing and sequencing of their outline agreement.

At Sinpo, 120 people are still guarding the site and maintaining work already done, a KEDO source said. Large parts of the reactor container building and the shell of one of two planned reactors have been completed.
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