YKU Statement on North Korea's Nuclear Program

[PDF File]

In 1994, the Agreed Framework (Geneva Agreement) was signed between North Korea and the United States. There were three major agreements:

  • the United States would organize an international consortium to replace North Korea¡¯s graphitemoderated reactors with two light water reactors;
  • both parties would work together to ensure peace and security in a nuclear-free Korean peninsula; and
  • North Korea and the United States would move toward full normalization of political and economic relations including upgrading bilateral relations to the Ambassadorial level and reducing restrictions on trade and investments in North Korea.

    Unfortunately, both parties have failed to live up to their promises. Construction of the two light water reactors, which was to be completed by 2003, has just begun. Sanctions against North Korea by the United States has not been fully lifted, nor have both parties upgraded bilateral relationship to the Ambassadorial level. In the beginning of 2002, Bush named North Korea as a part of the axis of evil and later in March, the administration's Nuclear Posture Review specifically named North Korea as a possible target for a pre-emptive nuclear strike by the U.S. At the same time, the State Department recently announced that North Korea has a program to enrich uranium, which could be used to build nuclear weapons. The U.S.'s hostile policy does provide North Korea with enough cause to continue their nuclear program. However, should it be found that North Korea is producing nuclear weapons, it would be jeopardizing the Agreed Framework of 1994, the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Treaty, and the Communique of Nuclear-free Korean Peninsula by North and South Korea. In short, both nations are responsible for the potential dissolution of the Agreed Framework. Today the Bush administration, through KEDO, has halted shipments of heavy oil to North Korea, against provisions in the Agreed Framework. Both South Korea and Japan, who are major contributors of KEDO and neighbors of North Korea urge the United States to resolve the nuclear issue through dialogue and economic cooperation and to re-continue heavy oil delivery to North Korea. The Bush Administration's containment policy and North Korea's pursuit of a nuclear program will only result in the complete abrogation of the Agreed Framework of 1994 and threaten peace in the Korean peninsula. As people who seek peace and a nuclear-free Korea, we urge the United States and North Korea to do the following:

  • United States must re-continue to send oil shipments to North Korea.
    The continuation of oil shipment is one of the last significant opportunities for the United States and North Korea to build peace in the Korean peninsula. An end to oil shipments would create extreme hardship for the North Korean children who must live through the harsh winter without heat energy.
  • Both sides must agree to meet, face to face, and begin real negotiations through the spirit of cooperation.
    There should be no preconditions for peace.
  • United States and North Korea must renegotiate the 1994 Geneva Agreement.
    All provisions in the Agreement need to be recommitted, rescheduled and revived. United States and North Korea must resolve security issues through dialogue, and without any preconditions.

    Young Koreans United of USA