N KOREAN NUCLEAR program is more or less like an open book, compiled by US investigating agencies and the so-called world monitoring systems. More than 90 percent of what we know about Pyongyang’s activities have been revealed by CIA and propagated by American media. Read any report, any book or search any data bank about N Korea’s nuclear program and you will find the credentials and the make believe stories to influence your opinion. Accounts on how different states provoked and at times assisted N Korea in making up the dreaded weapons is altogether missing.

 

Back in 1950s US was as much willing for regime change as it is now. During Korean War it was United States, which threatened on several occasions the use of nuclear weapons against N Korea. The capitalist bloc had already deployed its troops and arsenal in the South. US began deploying several types of nuclear weapons to South Korea, from 1958 onwards. There were as many as 950 warheads in the South, supplied by America. To counter the threat N Korea’s obvious response was to seek cooperation with communist states and establish its own infrastructure. Whatever the small communist state has achieved today is because of the nations like PRC (China) and former Soviet Union.

 

Amidst all make believe stories came a speech straight from the lion’s mouth that hit hard the popular belief and hit hard the Bush administration. The President of South Korea Roh Moo-hyun, in a recent controversial speech said: “North Korea professes that nuclear capabilities are a deterrent for defending itself from external aggression. In this particular case it is true and undeniable that there is considerable element of rationality in North Korea’s claim.”

 

Nuclear program in N Korea has now been running for more than four decades. According to a six-page CIA document, released on 28 April 1987: “In our opinion, Moscow was instrumental in inducing P’yongyang to sign the NPT in December 1985. The Soviets have been involved in North Korea’s nuclear power program since at least 1956.”

 

 The research and development started in the mid-1960s, with the establishment of a large-scale atomic energy research center, at Yongbyon. It was only possible with the assistance and cooperation of Soviet Union. In the year 1965, a Soviet research reactor, by the name IRT-2M was assembled at the research center. The second reactor, an improvised version of the first reactor, was built somewhat near 1975. In 1977 DPRK concluded an agreement with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). DPRK formally declared that the reactor was built with the assistance of USSR. Yongbyon research facility soon became an eye catcher and was constantly monitored by the world agencies.

 

The Weapons Program, as is believed, started much later and not until 1980s. During 1980s N Korea is believed to have started fabricating and converting Uranium which would be used to build nuclear weapons. High explosive detonation tests were carried out in mid-1980s at Taechon and Yongbyon. A secret nuclear reactor was reported as being built at Yongbyon. The state economy got broke at the same time and under foreign pressure the state acceded to the Treaty on Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Nuclear safeguard agreement with IAEA was however signed on 1992.

 

 According to US reports N Korea worked primarily on the plutonium reprocessing plant till 1990. From 1990 it started its HEU (highly enriched uranium) program with the assistance from Pakistan. P’yongyang further helped in the development of missile technology of Pakistan. The centrifuge designs and equipments are believed to be made available by Abdul Qadeer Khan. Pakistan in exchange received the missile technology from Korea. Feeling of distrust is fading in, as US intelligence agencies and IAEA inspectors never interrogated Khan. It might be that Qadeer too was used as a pawn to decipher the Korean missile technology and assist the nuclear Korea. 

 

There was a heated debate over the amount of plutonium possessed by N Korea in 1990s. Estimates differed but it was certain that N Korea had accumulated enough plutonium to make at least one or two bombs. Growing suspicions, in 1994, on the plutonium content possessed by N Korea brought it on the brink of war with US. After the unofficial visit of former President of United States, Jimmy Carter, an accord was reached at. N Korea endorsed what was called 1994 Geneva Agreed Framework. According to the framework N Korea was to give up its nuclear weapons program and in exchange receive the US$ 5 billion nuclear reactor project, food aid, fertilizers and other incentives. After eight years, that is in 2002 there were reports of N Korea’s pursuit of a secret weapons program at some undisclosed location.

 

In October 2002, the Assistant Secretary of State (US) whipped N Korea for having developed nuclear weapons. US at the same time accused N Korea of operating a secret uranium enrichment program. N Korea denied the claims. In December same year P’yongyang removed the IAEA seals and shut all monitoring cameras. In a statement made by Colin Powell, in December 2002, the US Secretary of State said: “We now believe they (North Koreans) have a couple of nuclear weapons and have had them for years.” On January 10, 2003, N Korea announced withdrawal from NPT and restarted its 20MW reactor at Yongbyon.

 

Six party talks were initiated in 2003 to restore peace in the Korean peninsula. The group of six consists of the two Koreas, US, Russia, China and Japan. Six party talks held in the following years were met with little success. N Korea, actively or passively, have been drawing attention on what led to the development of nuclear and missile technology, on sanctions that were imposed from time to time and threats that it had to face and the culprit was always find out to be America.   

 

On Feb 10, 2005, a spokesman from North Korean Foreign Ministry announced that the state has manufactured a nuclear weapon. US has been expecting the test as early as June 2005, when N Korea announced to use the spent fuel, after shutting down the 5MW(e) reactor, to increase its nuclear deterrent.  

 

On September 19, 2005 N Korea agreed on denuclearization treaty with US, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia. Washington in return promised to move towards normalizing the relations. Four days later, the US Treasury Department imposed sweeping financial sanctions against N Korea designed to cut off the country’s access to the international banking system.

 

Recent reports reveal that there are as many as 22 nuclear facilities in 18 different locations in N Korea. Currently it has atomic research centers at Yongbyon, Sunchon and one under construction at Sinpo.

 

All facts put together, there is little doubt that there were compelling reasons for N Korea to protect itself from the imminent dangers starting from the Cold War and that the great nations of United Nations actually helped in the manufacture of Korean nuclear bomb. Diplomacy has taken a new turn but the states responsible cannot escape from the blame.

 

On October 3, sanctions against N Korea were given a high time in the UN. After six days, on October 9, 2006 N Korea conducts underground tests, exactly as it was supposed to have done. In geopolitical world the great players had left one obvious option open for N Korea. Some experts believe it to be the only option, one that is always left open to move the opposition.

 

Nuclear weapons, when used bring out catastrophic results, as their yield is much higher than the conventional weapons. A small nuclear weapon can destroy an entire city. The weapons have been twice used, till this date. America, on August 6, 1945 dropped the first bomb named ‘Little Boy’ on Hiroshima. On August 9, 1945 a second bomb was dropped over the city Nagasaki. This bomb was named ‘Fat Man.’ The second bomb was a plutonium implosion type. It contained 6.1 kg of plutonium and its yield was approximately 21 kilotons.

 

Nuclear weapons can further be produced as A-Bombs (atom bombs) or H-bombs (hydrogen bombs). A-Bombs are designed work on the principle of nuclear fission and H-Bombs on fusion reactions. The yield in an H-Bomb is comparatively much higher than an A-Bomb.

 

To make a nuclear bomb requires a requisite amount of plutonium or uranium and design technology. The bombs as such produced vary for these variables. With a good design and employing 1 kg of plutonium a bomb of I kiloton yield can be produced. Three kilograms of plutonium are enough to make a 20-kiloton bomb, provided the technical capabilities are high.

 

During 1990s, N Korea was believed to have extracted more than 20 kgs of plutonium. The exact quantity was never verified. After announcing its withdrawal from NPT in Jan 10, 2003, P’yongyang started extracting more plutonium and is estimated to have acquired 25 kgs. The quantity of plutonium puts N Korea in a position to produce more than 10 warheads, which means that N Korea, if it strikes with all its warheads can demolish at least 10 cities.  

Yongbyon, Chuna-ma, Hagap, Hamhung, Hungnam, Hwanghae, Kanggye, Kilju, Kumchangni, Kumho, Kusong, Kwanmo-bong, Myohyang, Nanam, Pakch’on, Pyongsan, Pyongsong, P’yongyang, Taechon, Sinpo, Wonsan, Yongjo-ri, Sunchon. P’yongyang, the capital of N Korea is much dreaded by its adversaries as it is reported to have nuclear, chemical weapons and biological weapons facilities, missile base and an airbase.

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