N. Korea confirms effort to restart nuclear reactor

Published Saturday, September 20, 2008

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -North Korea upped the ante in the standoff over its nuclear program, confirming that it is restoring a key atomic reactor and saying it no longer cares to be removed from Washington’s terrorism blacklist.

A disarmament-for-aid pact offered removal from the U.S. list of nations sponsoring terrorism - along with energy aid - if North Korea dismantled its nuclear program.

Yesterday’s announcement was the first North Korean confirmation that the regime is undoing the disarmament process begun in Nov. 2007 as part of a nuclear deal hashed out during talks with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States.

Analysts noted, however, that Pyongyang has a history of taking a hard line in negotiations to press for further concessions. They said the North didn’t appear to be seeking to scuttle six-nation talks since its envoys went ahead with a meeting with South Korean diplomats yesterday.

Pyongyang blamed Washington, saying its refusal to remove North Korea from a U.S. list of states that sponsor terrorism is a violation of that deal.

The U.S. says Pyongyang first must accept a plan to verify nuclear promises made in June - a demand the North rejected as an attempt to unilaterally disarm the country.

"Now that the United States’ true colors have been brought to light, we neither wish nor expect to be delisted as a ‘state sponsor of terrorism,’" the Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the country’s official news agency, KCNA.

South Korean and U.S. officials say it would take at least a year for the North to restart the reactor if it is completely disabled.

Even after the announcement, officials from both Koreas met yesterday to discuss sending energy aid to the North as part of the disarmament deal. During those talks, South Korea urged the North to resume disabling the nuclear facilities, but the North repeated its position on verification and the terror list, according to a South Korean official who spoke on condition of anonymity.