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Korea on Monday spearheaded widely expected opposition to a rumored U.S. initiative that would create an exclusive club of countries allowed to enrich uranium and an even more exclusive one allowed to reprocess spent nuclear fuel rods. Foreign Ministry policy director Chun Young-woo, Korea's representative at a Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference that started at UN Headquarters in New York on Monday, said such plans would be unfair.
"Korea is the world's sixth largest power in terms of nuclear energy," Chun told reporters. "Nations with many nuclear power stations properly need enrichment and reprocessing technology."
He also said he would tell the conference that for international security it was just as important that nuclear-armed states reduce their nuclear stockpiles as that states not armed with nuclear weapons refrain from acquiring them. "The U.S. and Russia are making efforts to reduce their nuclear stockpiles, but progress is not as great as was hoped after the end of the Cold War, and I will press for more active measures," he said. "For an American ally like Korea to press the U.S. to reduce its nuclear stockpile will carry particular significance, quite different from demands by non-allies." He said Seoul already explained this to Washington and had found an understanding ear.
A Foreign Ministry official commented, "Since we have stressed the obligation of nuclear powers to reduce their stockpiles at every disarmament meeting, we aren't saying anything new."
Turning to North Korea, Chun said the reclusive country had been "the greatest challenge to the NPT over the last five years" and many nations would naturally mention it. But he warned it was unlikely anything the conference can do will change North Korea's position.
(englisnews@chosun.com )
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