S. Korean, Japanese Leaders Discuss DPRK's Nuke Program, by Telephone

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, December 15, 2002

S. Korean, Japanese Leaders Discuss DPRK's Nuke Program, by Telephone

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South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reaffirmed Saturday that they will deal with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) nuclear situation through close consultations between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington.

The two leaders agreed during a telephone conversation that it was important, through bilateral dialogue and international cooperation, to persuade the DPRK to withdraw its decision to reactivate nuclear facilities, Yonhap News Agency quoted senior presidential secretary Yim Sung-joon.

Kim and Koizumi expressed regret over the DPRK's move and urgedPyongyang not to put into effect the reactivation of these facilities, said Yim.

Kim also explained to the Japanese prime minister his telephonetalks late on Friday with United States President George W. Bush and called for close three-way cooperation, added the secretary.

The two leader's telephone talks came after a DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesman declared Thursday, via the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), that the DPRK would immediately resume the operation and construction of nuclear facilities required for the production of electric power.

The decision in November by the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) to suspend heavy oil shipments to the country has caused a great hole on DPRK's electricity production.

The KEDO, an international consortium led by the United States,claimed that confirmation by the DPRK to visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly,in October, that it had a secret nuclear development plan violatedthe 1994 Agreed Framework.

Under this treaty, signed by United States and the DPRK, the DPRK agreed to suspend its nuclear program in return for two lightwater reactors and 500,000 tons of heavy oil each year provided bythe US government.

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