Seoul to delete account of N.K. nuke in defense white paper

SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- An upcoming South Korean defense white paper will not
include an account of North Korea's alleged possession of nuclear weapons, the
defense ministry said Friday, in an effort to downplay Pyongyang's demand that it
be recognized as a nuclear state.
"We will only state three things, that it reprocessed nuclear fuel rods, the
information on the amount of North Korean plutonium reserves shared by the U.S.
and South Korea and that North Korea conducted nuclear tests," a defense ministry
official said during a meeting of the parliament's National Defense Committee.
North Korea has insisted that it be recognized as a nuclear state following a
nuclear weapons test it conducted in 2006. Regional powers, including the United
States and Russia, have so far denied Pyongyang's claims.
The white paper, produced annually, has stated in the past that North Korea may
have produced several rounds of nuclear weapons using plutonium extracted prior
to an agreement with the U.S. in 1994, in which the North pledged to freeze its
plutonium-producing reactor in return for economic benefits.
"The claim (of its nuclear status) is made solely by North Korea. We deleted the
account after consulting with related ministries not to become entangled by the
North's intentions," the official said.
Regional powers grouping South Korea, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia are
seeking a resolution to the dispute on North Korea's nuclear weapons program
under a 2007 deal, in which Pyongyang agreed to terminate its nuclear drive in
exchange for energy and diplomatic incentives.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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