North Korea has filed a transnational lawsuit against Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電), accusing the state-owned utility of failing to honor a contract to deliver nuclear waste for disposal in the communist state, a local magazine reported.
The Chinese-language TVBS Weekly said in its latest issue yesterday that Taipower and the Pyongyang government signed a contract in 1996 that North Korea would take in the company’s nuclear waste.
However, because of international pressure — especially from the South Korean and US governments — Taipower called for a temporary suspension of the agreement in 1998, but later signed a new US$8.72 million deal with the North Korean government to extend the contract by five years, the report said.
Photo: EPA
Under the new deal, North Korea would continue investing and constructing nuclear waste disposal sites. However, since Taipower has not followed up on the deal, Pyongyang filed a transnational lawsuit against Taipower and asked for NT$300 million (US$10.1 million) in compensation, the report said.
Taipower issued a statement last night saying it did sign a contract with the North Korean government in 1997, promising to deliver low-level radioactive waste to the country for final management.
However, the two parties ran into difficulties that prevented them from carrying out the terms of the contract, Taipower said.
Taipower said that as of yesterday, it had not received any document stating that Pyongyang was seeking compensation for breach of contract.
The state utility said it was planning to deliver 60,000 barrels of low-level radioactive waste to a then-existing and still operating disposal site in North Korea, as promised in the contract signed on Jan. 11, 1997.
After the contract was signed, North Korea issued a permit allowing Taipower to export nuclear waste to the country.
However, North Korea failed to meet Taiwan’s Atomic Energy Council’s request that it follow the Taiwanese government’s rule of “finishing construction first prior to a site evaluation.”
Taipower also failed to obtain a permit from the AEC to export nuclear waste overseas.
Taipower added that the North Korean government had once sought mediation in 2004 from the AEC, but the two sides failed to reach a consensus.
The company said it did not wire any payment to the North Korean government because the contract never went into effect and had become invalid.
ANTI-SHIP CONFIGURATION: The Tuo Chiang-class vessels are to be built for NT$9.7 billion by Lung Teh, a shipyard that previously built four similar corvettes for the navy The Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday awarded Lung Teh Shipbuilding (龍德造船) a NT$9.7 billion Co (US$317.57 million) contract to build five Tuo Chiang-class corvettes with anti-ship capabilities, a defense official familiar with the matter said yesterday. The corvettes would carry vertical launchers for four Hsiung Feng II (HF-2) missiles, as well as eight Hsiung Feng III (HF-3) anti-ship missiles, in contrast to ships configured for anti-air warfare, which carry eight HF-2 and four HF-3 missiles, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The anti-ship corvettes would be armed for improved standoff range against surface combatants and carry the latest
PARTIAL SUPPORT: Morris Chang said he agrees with the US’ goal to slow advances of China’s chip sector, but US policies that might boost chip prices perplex him Washington’s efforts to on-shore semiconductor production might lead to surges in chip prices and supply bottlenecks, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀) said yesterday. The 91-year-old industry veteran said he supports parts of Washington’s effort to slow China’s progress on advanced chip manufacturing. China is still six years behind Taiwan in making advanced chips, despite years-long efforts to catch up, Chang told a Commonwealth Magazine forum that he coheadlined with Tufts University assistant professor Chris Miller, an expert on the US-China rivalry’s effects on chip manufacturing. However, Chang said that other parts of the effort, particularly Washington’s on-shoring
‘COINCIDENCE’: The former president should keep in mind local and global response to his actions and abide by the law to safeguard national interests, the MAC said The Presidential Office yesterday confirmed that it has received an application from former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to visit China next week and would be discussing his security detail. “As the travel restrictions on former president Ma have expired, we respect his plan to pay respect to his ancestors in China,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Lin Yu-chan (林聿禪) said. “We will review his travel plan and consult concerned agencies to assist him in arranging his security detail.” “We also hope that Ma, as a former commander in chief of Taiwan, acts in a manner that aligns with national interests and does not hurt
ALL CHILDREN ELIGIBLE: The Cabinet approved the latest version of the tax rebate distribution plan that unlike earlier versions, has no age limit, the finance ministry said Taiwanese and eligible foreign residents can from next week register online for a tax rebate of NT$6,000 (US$196) from last year’s NT$380 billion revenue surplus, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Cabinet earlier in the day approved the rebates for Taiwanese, foreign spouses of Taiwanese, foreign diplomats and their spouses, and Alien Permanent Resident Certificate holders, it said. Parents can also claim the rebates for their children, the ministry said, after earlier versions of the plan had excluded young children. Registration via 6000.gov.tw would be open from 8am on Wednesday, the ministry said, adding that the rebates would be wired to peoples’