| Diplomatic efforts to end North Korea's nuclear | | | | information by submitting lists of facilities with little or |
| weapons programs are, for now, in the hands of | | | | no relevance to nuclear weapons. |
| technical experts. The working groups, as they are | | | | He also notes that nuclear inspectors have had to |
| known, will spend next month sifting through details | | | | put together their own database of information |
| and definitions so they can propose the next steps in | | | | obtained in other ways. And Lee adds that |
| the negotiations. VOA Seoul correspondent Kurt | | | | Pyongyang probably will try to protect some of its |
| Achin looks at their main challenges. | | | | more sensitive facilities. |
| U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill says | | | | Lee and other experts say the working groups could |
| dismantling nuclear weapons programs and structuring | | | | help ensure that Pyongyang permanently disables its |
| energy deals is complicated business - and that it is | | | | nuclear facilities by drawing up plans that provide |
| time to bring in the specialists. | | | | alternative work for North Korean nuclear engineers. |
| "You know, we're a bunch of diplomats, | | | | One working group will study the other side of the |
| ambassadors, who are talking about a subject that | | | | February agreement. If it cooperates in the second |
| not all of us have worked on that much in our | | | | phase, impoverished North Korea is to receive |
| careers," he said. | | | | 950,000 tons of fuel oil or other energy aid of equal |
| Hill is the main U.S. delegate to six-nation talks aimed | | | | value. |
| at eliminating North Korea's nuclear arms capabilities. | | | | Negotiators say providing only fuel oil would not only |
| He met in Beijing with counterparts from North and | | | | fail to serve the North's long-term interests, but could |
| South Korea, China, Russia, and Japan earlier this | | | | also allow Pyongyang to stall on future commitments. |
| month, soon after Pyongyang shut down its main | | | | If North Korea is assured of an oil supply, it has little |
| nuclear reactor in Yongbyon. | | | | incentive to move forward on disarmament until the |
| That shutdown fulfilled the first phase of a February | | | | oil runs out. |
| agreement. The next phase requires North Korea to | | | | As a result, U.S. Ambassador Hill says the U.S. and its |
| declare all its nuclear programs, as a step toward | | | | partners will provide a variety of aid that meets the |
| completely disabling them in exchange for energy aid. | | | | North's overall needs. |
| To that end, experts have been assigned to provide | | | | "Option A might be additional storage capacity [for |
| a list of steps to be taken, as well as definitions of | | | | fuel], option B might be a [power plant] |
| key concepts. | | | | refurbishment, option C might be the provision of |
| The February agreement is the result of nearly four | | | | electricity from a neighboring country - something like |
| years of international effort to end North Korea's | | | | that. But we need the experts to kind of look at |
| nuclear weapons programs. Although in the past | | | | this," said Hill. |
| Pyongyang has pledged to not develop nuclear | | | | Tim Savage is an analyst with the Nautilus Institute, |
| bombs, in 2002, U.S. officials said the country was | | | | which researches energy and security issues related |
| secretly trying to build them. | | | | to North Korea. He says a diversified package of |
| That led to a series of sanctions and several rounds | | | | energy aid would most benefit the country. |
| of talks with North Korea. Despite the diplomatic | | | | "North Korea's energy shortage goes well beyond |
| push, last year North Korea tested its first nuclear | | | | simple fuel shortages," he said. "What you have is |
| explosion. | | | | essentially a dilapidation of the entire energy system, |
| Lee Eun-chol, a nuclear engineering specialist at Seoul | | | | from the mining of coal to the power plants, to the |
| National University, says that determining what should | | | | transmission lines, down to the end-use equipment." |
| be in the North Korean nuclear declaration is in itself a | | | | The working groups are expected to meet until late |
| demanding technical chore. | | | | August or early September. Delegates from the six |
| Lee says North Korea has responded to previous | | | | nations hope to reconvene in September, once they |
| International Atomic Energy Agency requests for | | | | have studied the groups' recommendations. |