Denuclearization Deadline

North Korea Must Comply With Full Nuclear Disclosure

North Korea is unlikely to meet the year-end deadline to declare all its nuclear programs and dismantle its nuclear facilities under the Oct. 3 international denuclearization agreement. The possible delay might have negative implications on Pyongyang's faithful implementation of its disarmament pledges. This also could cast a dark cloud over a series of inter-Korean agreements on stepped-up economic cooperation, national reconciliation and a peace regime on the peninsula.

The six-nation denuclearization talks are at a critical juncture as the United States and North Korea have some difficulties in ironing out their differences over a declaration of Pyongyang's nuclear activities. Top U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill made a three-day visit to the North this week to discuss pending issues with the communist country's officials. His visit was not seen as successful.

Hill said Wednesday that he had visited the Yongbyon nuclear complex and seen that dismantling was going forward at three key units of the facility. But he failed to get assurances from the North about full disclosure of its nuclear weapons programs. The envoy said he had cautioned Pyongyang that a declaration of the North's nuclear activities promised by the end of the year had to be ``complete and correct.''

``We wanted to make sure that they would include all the facilities, materials and programs,'' Hill told reporters in Beijing. He acknowledged there were definitely some differences over the disclosure although he expressed hope that the North would meet the deadline. Due to the differences, the six-party talks, which were expected this month, are likely to be held next month. Unfortunately, the international nuclear disarmament talks have hit a snag.

At the center of the dispute is apparently North Korea's suspected secret program to enrich uranium for weapons. Washington reportedly wants Pyongyang to include the uranium enrichment program in the disclosure list. However, the North has denied the existence of such a program. The Stalinist country is allegedly trying not to disclose atomic materials this time. The North Korean regime is reported to link the disclosure to its demand that the U.S. and South Korea should resume the suspended light water reactor project to solve the North's energy shortages.

However, the U.S. has insisted on a complete nuclear declaration, while sticking to its firm stance against the restart of the costly light water reactor project. North Korea should drop its irrational demand and make good on its commitment to disclosing all its nuclear activities. It was North Korea that suspended the light water reactor construction in an attempt to build nuclear weapons.

The North should not delay full disclosure in order to get energy aid and other rewards for its denuclearization. Only faithful implementation of its disarmament pledges will allow the U.S. to remove the North from the list of states sponsoring terrorism and to lift economic sanctions against it. It's time for North Korea to act now to move forward to complete denuclearization.