North Korea's nuclear power programme revealed

The extent of the nuclear programme in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was revealed in May 1992: reports on the country's facilities were handed to the International Atomic Energy Agency and an Agency group visited Korea on a ''familiarisation visit''. DPRK's nuclear programme had been the subject of speculation for some time. While the country had signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty and two facilities were already under IAEA safeguards - a research reactor and a critical facility, both at the Institute of Nuclear Physics - there were a number of indicators that DPRK was pursuing a nuclear programme aimed at military use. The new openness was prompted by a number of factors including discussions on closer relations with South Korea. DPRK signed a comprehensive Safeguards Agreement on 30 January 1992. On the familiarisation visit by the IAEA director general in May the DPRK revealed nuclear facilities in operation or under construction at five sites. At Pakchon and Pyongsan: each site housed a uranium mine and uranium-ore concentration plant. At Pyongyang: the two facilities already under safeguards at the Institute of Nuclear Physics; and a sub critical facility at Kim Il Sung university. At Nyongbyon: a fuel fabrication plant; an 5MWe experimental power reactor, in operation; a 50MWe prototype power reactor under construction; and a facility ultimately intended as a reprocessing plant, but described by North Korea, because of its unfinished state, as a laboratory. At Taechon: a 200MWe power reactor under construction. (author)