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North Korea; Nuclear History

Page history last edited by K.Painter 2 yrs ago

 

Nuclear Weapons Program

Current Status

North Korea conducted an underground nuclear explosive test on October 16, 2006. The estimated yield of the test was less than one kiloton.

In a roundtable discussion with the United States and China in Beijing on April 24, 2003, North Korean officials admitted for the first time that they possessed nuclear weapons. Furthermore, North Korean officials claim to have reprocessed spent fuel rods and have threatened to begin exporting nuclear materials unless the United States agrees to one-on-one talks with North Korea.

Tensions between the United States and North Korea have been running especially high since, in early October of 2002, Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly informed North Korean officials that the United States was aware that North Korea had a program underway to enrich uranium for use in nuclear weapons. Initially North Korea denied this, but later confirmed the veracity of the US claim. In confirming that they had an active nuclear weapons program, they also declared the Agreed Framework nullified.

The Agreed Framework signed by the United States and North Korea on October 21, 1994 in Geneva agreed that:

  • North Korea would freeze its existing nuclear program and agree to enhanced International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards
  • Both sides would cooperate to replace the D.P.R.K.'s graphite-moderated reactors for related facilities with light-water (LWR) power plants.
  • Both countries would move toward full normalization of political and economic relations.
  • Both sides will work together for peace and security on a nuclear-free Korean peninsula.
  • And that both sides would work to strengthen the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Prior to the establishment of the Agreed Framework, intelligence sources believed that North Korea could have extracted plutonium from their reactors for use in nuclear weapons; perhaps enough for one or two nuclear weapons.

Nevertheless, it has remained unclear whether North Korea had actually produced nuclear weapons due to difficulties in developing detonation devices.

 

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/dprk/nuke/index.html

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6032525.stm --  North Korea discusses their testing of Nuclear Weapons.  This link will provide insight into the way other countries feel about the North Korean's testing their nucluear weapons.  Virtually every country in this article denounces the Koreans testing of their nuclear power.  This link includes views from US, China, Japan and South Korea. 

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/08/AR2006100801169.html --  This article delves into the reactions of the North Koreans developing thier Nuclear power.  It shows how the Chinese and the South Koreans are re-thinking their aid and investment into N. Korea.  They feel that they have reached a "tipping point" and that it has now become too much. 
   
   
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/dprk/nuke-test.htm --  A very specific website that lays out the exact timing and events of their bomb testing.  For example, " The nuclear test was reported to have had a yield equivalent to 550 tons of TNT."  It also provides statements from the North Korean's on the testing.   
 
  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea_nuclear_weapons_program

 

 

 

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