*** TOPIC OF THE WEEK (Part 1)

N. Korea's Reported Construction of Light-Water Reactor Raises Concern

SEOUL (Yonhap) - The latest reports that North Korea is apparently building an experimental light-water nuclear reactor at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex have started a new wave of alarm as international efforts continue to fail to end Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.

   Two U.S. experts on North Korea -- Siegfried Hecker and Jack Pritchard -- revealed the North's construction of the experimental reactor after they traveled to the socialist country earlier this month.

   On Nov. 13, media reported that Pyongyang appeared to be building an experimental light-water nuclear reactor, citing Hecker, who had been invited to the isolated state from Nov. 9 to 13.

   The American nuclear expert, former chief of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, told reporters during a stopover in Beijing that he heard the output of the reactor is on a scale of 25 to 30 megawatts. He said the construction of the reactor would take several years to complete.

   In Washington on Nov. 16, Pritchard, a Korean Peninsula security expert, told reporters that North Korean officials told him during his trip to Pyongyang that the country has begun construction on an experimental light-water nuclear reactor at its Yongbyon nuclear complex.

   Analysts say the North Koreans' claim about the new reactor is a message to the U.S. that Pyongyang will continue work on its nuclear program unless Washington resumes the six-party denuclearization talks. The country would then be able to secure economic and political concessions at the discussion table.

   Speaking to reporters, Pritchard, president of the Korea Economic Institute, said he witnessed "some small modifications to the fuel fabrication center that they described as part of their new light water reactor program in which they are going to build fuel cell necessary to fuel the eventual light water reactor."

   Pritchard, former U.S. special envoy on North Korea policy, visited North Korea from Nov. 2 to 6 and met with Kim Kye-gwan, North Korea's chief nuclear envoy, who was recently promoted to first-vice foreign minister, and other officials. He also visited the North's nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, north of its capital Pyongyang.

   Construction activity has been reported recently at the nuclear site, triggering concerns that North Korea has begun rebuilding the cooling tower that was demolished in late 2008 under a six-party deal for the North's nuclear dismantlement.

   The multilateral nuclear talks have been deadlocked over North Korea's missile and nuclear test early last year and most recently the sinking of a South Korean warship in March blamed on Pyongyang.

   "What they told us is that they are building a light-water reactor at Yongbyon," Pritchard said. "Physically, it is slightly in front of where the old cooling tower was located. We observed for ourselves the relatively early stage."

   North Koreans want to complete construction of the 100-megawatt light-water reactor that "will only provide enough electricity for the immediate area of Yongbyon... by 2012," Pritchard said. "Everything under construction in Pyongyang has a due date for the final construction of 2012 on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung," said Pritchard, who has made 13 visits to North Korea. "Quite frankly, we are skeptical."

   Kim Il-sung is the late founder of North Korea and the father of the country's current leader, Kim Jong-il.

   Pyongyang has set 2012 as its target year for the country to become a "Kangsong Taeguk," or "great, powerful and prosperous nation."

   Pritchard estimated the size of the reactor being built at 70 to 75 square feet and 60 feet in diameter. He described the reactor as being "one-tenth the size that was originally being built at the Kumho-Sinpo area in North Korea by the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO)."

   The KEDO, a now-defunct international consortium, was established to oversee construction of two 1,000-megawatt light-water reactors in North Korea in exchange for Pyongyang's nuclear freeze. It stopped the project when it was about 35 percent complete in 2003 after the U.S. accused North Korea of running a clandestine uranium-based nuclear program.

   Diplomatic sources in Seoul said that the North could be employing technology used in the now-defunct international project to build a set of light-water reactors in its Sinpo area in exchange for Pyongyang freezing its nuclear activities under a 1994 deal.

   The reported construction raised concerns about North Korea's attempt to enrich uranium for weapons because a light-water reactor uses lowly enriched uranium as fuel. If highly enriched, uranium can be used to build atomic bombs. North Korea claimed last year that it succeeded in experimental uranium enrichment.

   Analysts say the claim would suggest an increasing sophistication in the North's nuclear technology because in the past it was not thought capable of building a light-water reactor.

   The North's move could be an effort to pressure South Korea and the U.S. to resume the stalled six-nation negotiations, where the country could get economic and political concessions by stoking concern about the country's attempt to enrich uranium for weapons.

   The impoverished nation's economic woes appear to have deepened in the wake of a series of international and bilateral sanctions for its nuclear test and the March sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan.

   There are doubts over whether Pyongyang has the capabilities to build a light-water reactor.

   "They described it as experimental in nature," Pritchard said. "They are trying to build on their own a relatively small light-water reactor to ensure that they can. If it is successful, from there, they intend to build a larger one."

   A diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, was more skeptical. "Given North Korea's technology levels and other circumstances, there is a fair possibility of the North taking advantage of the construction process" used in the 1994 reactor project, the source said.

   "But as the Sinpo light-water reactor construction stopped at the groundwork level, key U.S. technologies or parts were not used. So, it's hard to believe that North Korea has the capabilities to build a light-water reactor."

   On Nov. 15, South Korea's foreign minister said North Korea's reported construction of a light-water nuclear reactor, if confirmed, would be a violation of U.N. resolutions banning the communist nation from any nuclear activity.

   "That would be running counter to U.N. resolutions and it is obvious that it wouldn't be conducive to the current situation," Minister Kim Sung-hwan told reporters, referring to reports on the construction of an experimental light-water nuclear reactor.

   Kim said that more time is needed to confirm the reports because the North has no experience in building a light-water reactor. The United States has not reached a conclusion whether it is a light-water reactor as reported, Kim said.

   Minister Kim also rejected the North's claims that it has the right to peaceful use of atomic energy, saying it is a right under the nuclear nonproliferation treaty (NPT). North Korea quit the pact in 2003, just months after the latest nuclear standoff broke out in late 2002.

   Also, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kim Young-sun said Seoul had not yet confirmed the report but that such a development would "be going contrary to expectations from members of the six-party talks and the international community."

   Seoul and Washington have demanded that the North first take concrete steps demonstrating its denuclearization commitments if the regime wants to reopen the talks involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the U.S.

   The nuclear talks have been stalled since the last session in December 2008 due to North Korea's boycott. But the communist regime has signaled in recent months that it is willing to return to the negotiating table amid international sanctions on its nuclear test last year and the sinking of the Cheonan warship.

   But prospects for the resumption of the six-party talks have been clouded by the ongoing issue of the Cheonan sinking.

   Seoul, which previously demanded an apology for the incident, has recently prioritized the North's genuine intent to denuclearize over an apology. Washington continues to call for the North to live up to previous agreements under the six-party framework and improve its ties with the South.

   North Korea conducted nuclear tests twice, first in 2006 and the other in 2009, inviting U.N. sanctions resolutions that ban the country from any nuclear and ballistic missile-related activity.

   Foreign Ministry spokesman Kim reiterated Seoul's position that firm groundwork should be laid to make sure progress is made if the nuclear talks restart, urging Pyongyang to show its denuclearization commitments through action. He also said that the South does not oppose a summit with the North if that is necessary for moving inter-Korean relations forward, but the country is not interested in holding a summit without sufficient preparations for progress.

   Other analysts also say the North will brandish its nuclear program to consolidate its military power as it attempts to transfer power to leader Kim Jong-il's youngest son, Kim Jong-un. The elder Kim's health is said to be waning after he reportedly suffered a stroke in 2008.

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