N. Korea To Build Light-Water
Nuclear Reactors.

Monday December 19, 2005
Reuters
http://today.reuters.com

Seoul (Reuters)--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.

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.

North Korea repeated demands for compensation for an International consortiums 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 US 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 200,000kw GMRs and their related facilities," KCNA reported.

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.