North Korea: Nuclear Programme (updated March 8, 2007)
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Updated: 8 March 2007
During six-party talks held in Beijing (the Chinese capital), the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK--North Korea) on Feb. 13, 2007, agreed to close its Yongbyon nuclear reactor within 60 days in exchange for 50,000 tonnes of fuel oil (or an equivalent amount of economic aid). Under the agreement, North Korea would--after the 60 day period--receive another 950,000 tonnes of fuel oil (or an equivalent amount of economic aid), providing that it took further steps to disable its nuclear capabilities. As part of the deal, the USA and Japan both agreed to open discussions with the DPRK on restoring diplomatic relations with the country, whilst South and North Korea announced on Feb. 14 that they had agreed to resume high-level inter-Korean talks.
Immediate Context
The agreement was reached after the state-run (North) Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced in October 2006 that North Korea had successfully conducted an underground test of a nuclear bomb, thereby sharply escalating international concerns over the country’s nuclear programme. US intelligence claimed that the underground nuclear test had been conducted on Oct. 16 near Punggye, in a mountainous area of North Hamgyong (also rendered Hamkyong) province, in the north-east of the country, with an explosive yield of less than 1 kilotonne (equivalent to 1,000 tonnes of TNT). Media reports in the USA in August had speculated that North Korea was preparing to conduct an underground nuclear test, after the country had defied international opinion by conducting a series of tests of ballistic missiles in July. During his annual State of the Union address in January 2002, US President George W Bush labelled North Korea as part of an "axis of evil", and talked openly about his loathing of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Il. Tensions between North Korea and the USA had escalated in October 2002 when North Korea admitted to developing a uranium-based nuclear weapons programme. A series of six-party talks, (including representatives from North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia, and the USA) on North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme were first held in Beijing in August 2003.
Reaction and outlook
The KCNA on Feb. 13, 2007, described the agreement as a "temporary" suspension of operations at its nuclear facilities. US President George W Bush on Feb. 14 described it as "good progress", but warned there was "a lot of work to be done to make sure that the commitments made in this agreement become reality". Most analysts agreed that there remained serious challenges ahead to successfully implementing the deal and to the full dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear programme. According to Christopher Hill, the USA’s chief US negotiator during the six-party talks, the agreement was made possible because of the USA’s willingness to meet North Korea’s demands for economic aid. Some senior US politicians, including John Bolton (the former US ambassador to the UN) criticised the agreement, saying that it rewarded North Korea for only partially abandoning its nuclear programme. It was claimed by some observers that Bush agreed to the deal because of North Korea’s proven nuclear weapons capability, whilst noting a contrast with his policy towards Iran and Iraq, two countries which were also part of his "axis of evil" and neither of which possessed nuclear weapons capability.
Historical context
North Korea was established in September 1948 after the Soviet Union and the USA --the two world powers at the end of World War II--had in 1945 temporarily separated Korea following the surrender of Japanese forces, which had annexed the country in 1910. Soviet and US attempts to mediate the reunification of Korea collapsed in May 1946, leading to UN supervised elections in US-controlled South Korea and the declaration of a new government in Soviet-controlled North Korea. On June 25, 1950, North Korean military forces breached the 38th parallel --a demilitarised zone set up by Soviet and US officials to separate North and South Korea pending their eventual reunification --and invaded South Korea, starting the three-year Korean war, during which the North was backed by China, and the South was supported by US-led UN forces. An armistice agreement to end the fighting was signed at Panmunjom by officials from the UN and North Korea on July 27, 1953, but no peace settlement was ever reached, meaning that North and South Korea remained, technically at least, at war. Kim Jong Il became North Korea’s de facto leader following the death in July 1994 of his father, former North Korean President Kim Il Sung . In October 1994 North Korea and the USA signed a Framework Agreement, based on an accord signed in August 1994, whereby North Korea was offered diplomatic recognition and assistance in replacing its nuclear technology, in return for the abandonment of its nuclear weapons programme and its submission to international nuclear inspection. The agreement broke down in 2002 but hopes of a breakthrough on the issue were raised by an agreement in September 2005 which almost immediately proved to be illusory.
Timeline links:
- December 2006 A new round of six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme are held in Beijing, the Chinese capital.
- November 2006 The UN Security Council sanctions committee finalises a list of items banned for export to North Korea.
- October 2006 North Korea conducts a successful underground test of a nuclear bomb, prompting Japan and Australia to impose sanctions.
- August 2006 Media reports in the USA speculate that North Korea is preparing to conduct an underground test of a nuclear bomb.
- July 2006 North Korea conducts a series of tests of ballistic missiles; UN Security Council unanimously adopts Resolution 1695 (2006).
- June 2006 International community warns against North Korea testing a long-range Taepo Dong-2 ballistic missile; the moribund Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organisation (KEDO) is formally terminated.
- April 2006 Six-party talks on the North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme in Tokyo.
- March 2006 North Korea launches two short-range missiles.
- September 2005 North Korea agrees to give up all its nuclear activities and rejoin the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but then reneges on the agreement saying that it will not dismantle its nuclear programme until it is provided with a light water reactor.
- August 2005 Opening of the fourth round of six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme in Beijing; Pakistani President Gen. Pervaiz Musharraf admits that rogue Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan provided centrifuges to North Korea to enrich uranium so that it could be used as bomb material.
- February 2005 North Korea announces its withdrawal from six-party talks on its nuclear weapons programme.
- December 2004 The IAEA announce that the North Korea has reprocessed its stockpile of spent nuclear fuel into enough weapons-grade plutonium to make between four and six nuclear bombs.
- March 2004 North Korea demands that US troops withdraw from South Korea as a condition for the dismantling of its nuclear weapons programmes.
- November 2003 The Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organisation (KEDO) announces that it is suspending all work for a one-year period.
- October 2003 North Korea announces that it has "successfully finished the reprocessing of some 8,000 spent [nuclear] fuel rods" in order to increase its "nuclear deterrent force"; US President George W. Bush offers North Korea security in exchange for the verifiable dismantling of its nuclear weapons programme.
- August 2003 First round of six-party talks over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme is held in Beijing.
- July 2003 North Korea agrees to participate in six-party talks over its nuclear weapons programme; reports that North Korea has produced sufficient plutonium to make five or six nuclear warheads.
- May 2003 North Korea announces that the Joint Declaration of the Denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, negotiated with South Korea in December 1991, is effectively nullified by the "sinister and hostile US policy against North Korea".
- January 2003 North Korea withdraws from the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
- December 2002 North Korea announces that it will restart its nuclear power plant at Yongbyon.
- October 2002 North Korea reveals its secret nuclear weapons programme.
- February 2002 North Korea reacts angrily to US President George W. Bush’s inclusion of North Korea in an "axis of evil" during his State of the Union address.
- January 2002 US President George W Bush labels North Korea as part of an "axis of evil".
- June 2001 US President George W. Bush announces that the USA is prepared to resume negotiations with North Korea.
- March 2001 North Korea warns the USA that it might lift its moratorium on testing ballistic missiles.
- February 2000 North Korea denies reports that it is importing uranium from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the manufacture of nuclear weapons in exchange for military assistance to the DRC government.
- November 1998 After three days of unsuccessful talks in Pyongyang a US delegation fails to gain access to a suspected underground nuclear facility near Yangbon.
- September 1998 Kim Jong Il is re-elected as chairman of the National Defence Committee (NDC), a position which is, under the country's new constitution, the "highest office" marking the effective abolition of the post of state President.
- June 1998 North Korea announces that it will continue to develop, test and export ballistic missiles.
- February 1998 The US government says that it will provide 200,000 tonnes of food aid to North Korea to alleviate the famine caused by a series of crop failures during recent years.
- November 1997 The USA and North Korea hold high-level talks at the US State Department offices in Washington DC.
- October 1997 Kim Jong Il is elected as secretary-general of the ruling Korean Workers' Party (KWP).June 1997 South Korean food aid is delivered to North Korea.
- February 1997 The USA and South Korea announce that they will contribute emergency food aid to North Korea.
- January 1996 North Korea announces that it has agreed to allow the IAEA to conduct routine inspections of the country's nuclear facilities.
- June 1995 The USA and North Korea reach agreement concerning the implementation of their October 1994 nuclear accord after the DPRK agrees to accept two light-water nuclear reactors from South Korea.
- March 1995 The Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) is formally inaugurated in New York.
- February 1995 The nuclear accord signed by North Korea and the USA in October 1994 is threatened by the development of a serious dispute over two light-water nuclear reactors.
- January 1995 North Korea and the USA continue to improve relations as both sides work towards implementing their obligations under the October 1994 Geneva nuclear agreement.
- November 1994 Following the signature of a nuclear accord between North Korea and the USA in October, South Korea takes steps to improve its relations with the North.
- October 1994 North Korea and the USA sign an agreement, under which the DPRK is offered US diplomatic recognition and assistance in replacing its existing nuclear technology, in return for the abandonment of its alleged nuclear weapons programme and its submission to international nuclear inspection.
- September 1994 High-level talks between North Korea and the USA in Geneva are adjourned after the two sides make little progress towards resolving the outstanding issues concerning North Korea's nuclear programme.
- August 1994 North Korea and the USA sign an agreement to settle some of the key issues in the dispute over the DPRK’s nuclear programme but the text of the agreement concedes that "important issues raised during the talks [had] yet to be resolved".
- July 1994 President Kim Il Sung dies after reportedly suffering a heart attack; Kim Jong Il, Kim Il Sung’s son, becomes the de facto leader of North Korea.
- June 1994 North Korea says imposing sanctions on it would constitute an act of war, and would bring "devastating consequences... to Asia and the rest of the world".
- March 1994 Dispute with IAEA over nuclear inspections.
- February 1994 The government agrees to admit at team of IAEA inspectors.
- April 1993 Election of Kim Jong Il as chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea.
- March 1993 North Korea announces its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
- May 1990 Kim Il Sung is re-elected as President.
- April 1982 Re-election of President Kim Il Sung.
- December 1977 Re-election of President Kim Il Sung.
- April 1969 North Korea claims to have shot down a US military plan.
- October 1953 The USA and South Korea sign a mutual security treaty.
- July 1953 Armistice agreement is signed in Panmunjom; agreement on Demilitarised Zone on the 38th parallel.
- November 1952 Military developments in the Korean war.
- July 1950 North Korean forces invade South Korea, starting the Korean War.
- January 1949 US government announces that it formally recognises the state of South Korea; Soviet forces withdraw from North Korea.
- November 1948 Elections are held in southern Korea in May; the Democratic Republic of Korea is proclaimed with new constitution; Syngman Rhee is elected President; the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is proclaimed and a new government is formed in North Korea; Soviet forces agree to withdraw from North Korea; USA refuses to withdraw forces from South Korea.
- January 1948 Attempts are made to reconvene a joint US-Soviet commission on setting up a provisional Korean government.
- November 1947 UN General Assembly adopts Resolution to send a UN Commission to Korea to supervise general elections.
- July 1946 Failure of talks between the USA and the Soviet Union on establishing an interim Korean government.
- September 1945 Japanese forces in Seoul surrender heralding the liberation of Korea.
- November 1943 US President Roosevelt, Chinese General Chiang Kai-shek, and UK Prime Minister Churchill declare from Cairo that they will help free Korea from Japanese occupation.
