North Korea plans to build light-water nuclear reactors
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-12-20 11:04

North Korea plans to build its own light-water atomic reactors and develop two other reactors that can produce large amounts of fissile material to boost its nuclear capabilities, official media said on Tuesday.

The comment from the North's official KCNA news agency comes amid a snag in six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programs. It could further complicate an already difficult diplomatic process, diplomatic analysts said.

North Korea has not said before it plans to build relatively proliferation resistant light-water reactors (LWRs) but it has threatened to resume work on two graphite-moderated reactors (GMRs), which can produce large amounts of material for atomic bombs, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official said by telephone.

In the unusually long KCNA report, North Korea repeated its demand for compensation for an international consortium's decision to pull the plug on a long-stalled deal to provide it with two light-water reactors in exchange for it freezing its nuclear weapons programs.

North Korea blamed U.S. President George W. Bush for the consortium's decision to end the light-water reactor project.

"The Bush administration's abandonment of its commitment to provide LWRs to the DPRK compels it to develop in real earnest its independent nuclear power industry based on 50,000 kilowatt and 200,000 KW GMRs and their related facilities," KCNA reported.

DPRK is short for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

KCNA said North Korea would "start developing and building LWRs of Korean style in reliance upon its indigenous technology and potential when an appropriate time comes to put further spurs to its peaceful nuclear activities." It did not elaborate.