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CNN Sunday Morning

North Korea Removes U.N. Monitoring Equipment From Nuclear Reactor Site

Aired December 22, 2002 - 10:36   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: North Korea is raising international fears with its removal of U.N. monitoring equipment at a deactivated nuclear reactor. The government says the plant is for generating electricity but there are fears it could also be used to make nuclear weapons. We get more on the situation now from Sohn Jie- Ae in Seoul, South Korea.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOHN JIE-AE, CNN SEOUL BUREAU CHIEF (on camera): There was grave concerns sparked in South Korea after North Korea announced that it would remove the safety seals and surveillance cameras from a nuclear power plant deactivated since 1994 under agreement reached between the United States and North Korea.

North Korea had previously said that it would need to remove the safety seals and surveillance cameras in order to activate the power plant because it needed electricity after the United States led consortium decided to stop heavy fuel oil shipments to North Korea. There was some hope in South Korea that this would be only empty threats, but now that North Korea apparently has decided to follow up on its words, there are also words of grave concern coming from South Korea.

SHIM YOON-HO, SOUTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: North Korea's action is extremely regrettable. It has been our consistent position North Korea must freeze its nuclear system. Also, our government strongly demands North Korea immediately restore the surveillance equipment.

SOHN: After the North Korean announcement, a telephone call was made between the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and the South Korean foreign minister, Shim Yoon-Ho. According to a South Korean foreign ministry spokesman, Mr. Powell said that there was a great need for a strong alliance between the United States and South Korea to overcome the crisis. Mr. Shim, the South Korean foreign minister, said that he would seek the cooperation of China and Russia in order to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions.

Sohn Jie-Ae, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAN MIGUEL: We go now for the White House view on the evolving North Korean's nuclear situation this morning. For details on that, let's check in with White House correspondent, Dana Bash.

And Dana, as if Iraq wasn't enough for the Bush administration's plate, the North Korean situation growing into an even bigger headache for the administration.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It sure is. It's a -- of course, North Korea is another on the so-called axis of evil that President Bush talked about last year. A U.S. State Department spokesman says that the U.S. has been informed by the IAEA, that's the International Atomic Energy Agency, that North Korea has removed some of the seals that we just heard about. The U.S. is urging North Korea, according to the spokesman, not to restart its nuclear facilities saying -- quote -- "It would fly in the face of the international consensus that North Korea's regime must fulfill all of its commitments and, in particular, dismantle its covert weapons program."

This U.S. State Department spokesman says that the international community has been reaching out to assist North Korea in problems that that country has, like poverty and other issues, and that this particular action could undermine those attempts, international attempts, to help North Korea. The U.S. spokesman -- State Department spokesman says that there can be no dialogue in response to -- quote -- "threats and broken commitments." But, this spokesman says, that the U.S. does seek a peaceful resolution to this --Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Dana, do we know if there have been any recent calls made to China involving the North Korean situation?

BASH: I don't know about China in particular, but the State Department is saying that they are reaching out to allies across the region to talk about this issue, to discuss what to do next and how to deal with this.

SAN MIGUEL: All right. We know that South Korea and Japan will be -- they'll be getting some phone calls and have been receiving calls as well. Dana Bash reporting from the White House, thank you for that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Reactor Site>


Aired December 22, 2002 - 10:36   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: North Korea is raising international fears with its removal of U.N. monitoring equipment at a deactivated nuclear reactor. The government says the plant is for generating electricity but there are fears it could also be used to make nuclear weapons. We get more on the situation now from Sohn Jie- Ae in Seoul, South Korea.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOHN JIE-AE, CNN SEOUL BUREAU CHIEF (on camera): There was grave concerns sparked in South Korea after North Korea announced that it would remove the safety seals and surveillance cameras from a nuclear power plant deactivated since 1994 under agreement reached between the United States and North Korea.

North Korea had previously said that it would need to remove the safety seals and surveillance cameras in order to activate the power plant because it needed electricity after the United States led consortium decided to stop heavy fuel oil shipments to North Korea. There was some hope in South Korea that this would be only empty threats, but now that North Korea apparently has decided to follow up on its words, there are also words of grave concern coming from South Korea.

SHIM YOON-HO, SOUTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: North Korea's action is extremely regrettable. It has been our consistent position North Korea must freeze its nuclear system. Also, our government strongly demands North Korea immediately restore the surveillance equipment.

SOHN: After the North Korean announcement, a telephone call was made between the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and the South Korean foreign minister, Shim Yoon-Ho. According to a South Korean foreign ministry spokesman, Mr. Powell said that there was a great need for a strong alliance between the United States and South Korea to overcome the crisis. Mr. Shim, the South Korean foreign minister, said that he would seek the cooperation of China and Russia in order to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions.

Sohn Jie-Ae, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAN MIGUEL: We go now for the White House view on the evolving North Korean's nuclear situation this morning. For details on that, let's check in with White House correspondent, Dana Bash.

And Dana, as if Iraq wasn't enough for the Bush administration's plate, the North Korean situation growing into an even bigger headache for the administration.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It sure is. It's a -- of course, North Korea is another on the so-called axis of evil that President Bush talked about last year. A U.S. State Department spokesman says that the U.S. has been informed by the IAEA, that's the International Atomic Energy Agency, that North Korea has removed some of the seals that we just heard about. The U.S. is urging North Korea, according to the spokesman, not to restart its nuclear facilities saying -- quote -- "It would fly in the face of the international consensus that North Korea's regime must fulfill all of its commitments and, in particular, dismantle its covert weapons program."

This U.S. State Department spokesman says that the international community has been reaching out to assist North Korea in problems that that country has, like poverty and other issues, and that this particular action could undermine those attempts, international attempts, to help North Korea. The U.S. spokesman -- State Department spokesman says that there can be no dialogue in response to -- quote -- "threats and broken commitments." But, this spokesman says, that the U.S. does seek a peaceful resolution to this --Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Dana, do we know if there have been any recent calls made to China involving the North Korean situation?

BASH: I don't know about China in particular, but the State Department is saying that they are reaching out to allies across the region to talk about this issue, to discuss what to do next and how to deal with this.

SAN MIGUEL: All right. We know that South Korea and Japan will be -- they'll be getting some phone calls and have been receiving calls as well. Dana Bash reporting from the White House, thank you for that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




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