South Korea expressed deep concern on Monday over North Korea's resumption of nuclear fuel reprocessing, saying that it is a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and that it will never tolerate Pyongyang owning nuclear weapons.
Last week, Pyongyang's Atomic Energy Institute said in an interview with Japan's Kyodo News that it has "reprocessed spent nuclear fuel rods removed from a graphite-moderated reactor," referring to the 5-megawatt reactor at the North's Yongbyon nuclear complex.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the nuclear watchdog, made public a director general report later that confirmed that there were "multiple indications" of the North engaging in nuclear fuel reprocessing.
"The reprocessing that the North acknowledged through a foreign media report last week is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions and it poses serious threat to the international peace, stability and the nonproliferation regime. We express our deep concern and strongly condemn it," the foreign ministry said in a comment issued in the name of its spokesman.
"We strongly urge the North to realize that the international community will not tolerate its possession of nuclear weapons," it added.
The government also vowed to keep up its all-out effort to apply more pressure on the North through close coordination with international organizations and major powers in the world. (Yonhap)
Last week, Pyongyang's Atomic Energy Institute said in an interview with Japan's Kyodo News that it has "reprocessed spent nuclear fuel rods removed from a graphite-moderated reactor," referring to the 5-megawatt reactor at the North's Yongbyon nuclear complex.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the nuclear watchdog, made public a director general report later that confirmed that there were "multiple indications" of the North engaging in nuclear fuel reprocessing.
"The reprocessing that the North acknowledged through a foreign media report last week is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions and it poses serious threat to the international peace, stability and the nonproliferation regime. We express our deep concern and strongly condemn it," the foreign ministry said in a comment issued in the name of its spokesman.
"We strongly urge the North to realize that the international community will not tolerate its possession of nuclear weapons," it added.
The government also vowed to keep up its all-out effort to apply more pressure on the North through close coordination with international organizations and major powers in the world. (Yonhap)
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