http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/02/1044122260115.html
North Korea on 'verge of making warheads'
February 3 2003
South Korean president-elect, Roh Moo-hyun, has sent an envoy, Chyung Dai-chul, to Washington to explain his policies on North Korea, amid signs that the crisis involving the communist state's nuclear program is deepening.
United States officials said on Friday that satellite images showed North Korea could be moving towards making nuclear warheads, and a US military commander called for more troops, bombers and ships to bolster South Korea's security.
Mr Chyung, a member of parliament and adviser to Mr Roh, was due to leave Seoul yesterday. He is to meet the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, and the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and perhaps President George Bush, in a bid to co-ordinate policy on North Korea, an aide said.
Mr Chyung said he planned to discuss ways to peacefully resolve the North Korean nuclear problem through dialogue and strengthening the South's alliance with the United States.
He told South Korean reporters that he would carry a letter from Mr Roh, who takes office on February 25, to Mr Bush advocating resolving the nuclear stand-off by diplomatic means.
US spy satellites showed North Korea was moving fuel rods around a key nuclear complex, including possibly some of the 8000 spent fuel rods that experts say are a key step in bomb-building. But officials said there was no sign that crucial reprocessing of those spent rods had begun.
But if the North Koreans reprocess the spent fuel rods, they could obtain enough weapons-grade plutonium to make several nuclear bombs within months, officials said. North Korea is suspected of already having one or two atomic bombs.
In another sign of the deepening crisis, the commander of US forces in the Pacific has reportedly asked the Pentagon for more troops, aircraft and warships to deter any "adventure" by North Korea if the US goes to war against Iraq.
The reinforcements would include several thousand more troops to bolster the 37,000 already based in South Korea, plus B-1 and B-52 bombers and possibly an aircraft carrier.
Two weeks ago, the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk left Japan's Yokosuka naval base, reportedly to stand by in international waters off the Korean Peninsula.
There was no immediate reaction from North Korea to the US intelligence report or the request for US reinforcements.
South Korea said it had not confirmed the US satellite intelligence showing North Korea was moving fuel rods around, and had not been informed of any US request to augment its forces in the South.
The crisis was sparked last October when the US said Pyongyang had admitted restarting its nuclear program in violation of a 1994 accord.
The US plans to put the issue before the UN Security Council, which could impose sanctions on North.
North Korea on 'verge of making warheads'
February 3 2003
South Korean president-elect, Roh Moo-hyun, has sent an envoy, Chyung Dai-chul, to Washington to explain his policies on North Korea, amid signs that the crisis involving the communist state's nuclear program is deepening.
United States officials said on Friday that satellite images showed North Korea could be moving towards making nuclear warheads, and a US military commander called for more troops, bombers and ships to bolster South Korea's security.
Mr Chyung, a member of parliament and adviser to Mr Roh, was due to leave Seoul yesterday. He is to meet the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, and the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and perhaps President George Bush, in a bid to co-ordinate policy on North Korea, an aide said.
Mr Chyung said he planned to discuss ways to peacefully resolve the North Korean nuclear problem through dialogue and strengthening the South's alliance with the United States.
He told South Korean reporters that he would carry a letter from Mr Roh, who takes office on February 25, to Mr Bush advocating resolving the nuclear stand-off by diplomatic means.
US spy satellites showed North Korea was moving fuel rods around a key nuclear complex, including possibly some of the 8000 spent fuel rods that experts say are a key step in bomb-building. But officials said there was no sign that crucial reprocessing of those spent rods had begun.
But if the North Koreans reprocess the spent fuel rods, they could obtain enough weapons-grade plutonium to make several nuclear bombs within months, officials said. North Korea is suspected of already having one or two atomic bombs.
In another sign of the deepening crisis, the commander of US forces in the Pacific has reportedly asked the Pentagon for more troops, aircraft and warships to deter any "adventure" by North Korea if the US goes to war against Iraq.
The reinforcements would include several thousand more troops to bolster the 37,000 already based in South Korea, plus B-1 and B-52 bombers and possibly an aircraft carrier.
Two weeks ago, the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk left Japan's Yokosuka naval base, reportedly to stand by in international waters off the Korean Peninsula.
There was no immediate reaction from North Korea to the US intelligence report or the request for US reinforcements.
South Korea said it had not confirmed the US satellite intelligence showing North Korea was moving fuel rods around, and had not been informed of any US request to augment its forces in the South.
The crisis was sparked last October when the US said Pyongyang had admitted restarting its nuclear program in violation of a 1994 accord.
The US plans to put the issue before the UN Security Council, which could impose sanctions on North.
