North Korea insisted yesterday that it would not dismantle its nuclear-weapons program until the US gives it civilian nuclear reactors, immediately casting doubt on a disarmament agreement reached a day earlier during international talks.
Washington reiterated its rejection of the demand and joined China in urging North Korea to stick to the agreement announced on Monday in which it pledged to abandon all its nuclear programs in exchange for economic aid and security assurances.
North Korea's surprise move underlined its unpredictable nature and deflated some optimism from the Beijing agreement, the first since negotiations began in August 2003.
"The US should not even dream of the issue of [North Korea's] dismantlement of its nuclear deterrent before providing [the reactors], a physical guarantee for confidence-building," the North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.
US officials dismissed the demand.
"This is not the agreement that they signed and we'll give them some time to reflect on the agreement they signed," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in New York.
North Korea had demanded since the latest round of six-party talks began last week in the Chinese capital that it be given a light-water reactor -- a type less easily diverted for weapons use -- in exchange for disarming.
US officials opposed the idea, maintaining North Korea could not be trusted with any nuclear program. The issue was sidestepped in Monday's agreement, with participants saying they would discuss it later -- "at an appropriate time."
They also agreed to reconvene in early November to discuss the agreement's implementation.
North Korea, however, chose to immediately press the issue, in effect introducing a major condition on its pledge to disarm.
Japan swiftly joined the US in rejecting the demand.
"The Japanese side has continuously said that North Korea's demand is unacceptable," Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura told reporters after the North Korea's announcement.
China, North Korea's closest ally in the talks, urged Pyongyang to join the other negotiating partners in implementing their commitments in "a serious manner."
South Korea remained optimistic, with its point man on North Korea relations saying the country's latest statement was not likely to derail the Beijing agreement.
Other countries at the Beijing talks made clear that the reactor could only be discussed after the North rejoins the Non-Proliferation Treaty and accepts inspections from the International Atomic Energy Agency -- which North Korea pledged to do in Monday's agreement.
US State Department spokesman Adam Ereli emphasized earlier in Washington that the "appropriate time" for discussing the reactor meant only after North Korea complies with the conditions.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang (秦剛) was asked in Beijing whether North Korea might have misunderstood the order of commitments laid out in the statement on Monday.
"The common statement was adopted by all six parties and I don't think North Korea has any misunderstanding," Qin said.
also see story:
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft