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North Korea's Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun said Monday that the explosion in North Korea¡¯s Ryanggang Province was actually a blasting operation for constructing a hydroelectric power station, according to U.K. broadcaster BBC.
The BBC reported that Paek had said the explosion was a planned demolition of a mountainous area linked to plans to build a hydroelectric power station, and that his comments came as a response to a request for information from U.K. Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell, who is currently visiting North Korea.
BBC also reported that Rammell asked Paek to allow a visit the blast site, and Paek said he would consider the request. Bill Rammell is visiting Pyongyang to discuss the nuclear issue and human rights.
A South Korean government official said, ¡°There are over 6,000 hydroelectric power station under construction in the country, so the North¡¯s claim may be true,¡± but added, ¡°I am suspicious, however, as to why the North had to blow up such a large amount of ammunition.¡± Dam experts say that the region of the explosion is a mountainous area with little rainfall, which is an inadequate choice for a dam site.
US ambassador Christopher Hill said in his meeting with Prime Minister Lee Hai-chan that the explosion was probably a "simple accident," not related to the nuclear activities, according to Lee Gang-jin, a senior press secretary to the prime minister. Unification minister Chung Dong-young also said in an Assembly session that the matter was not one over which one should show much concern.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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