Concrete is poured for a light nuclear reactor in Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, on Aug. 7, 2002, by the Korea Peninsula Energy Development Organization. The US had officially promised to build two light water reactors in exchange for North Korea’s denuclearization as part of the Agreed Framework, signed on Oct. 21, 1994.
Over the past few days, South Korean politics have been consumed by allegations that the Moon administration sought to help North Korea build a nuclear power plant. But the whole thing is a classic example of a fake controversy.First of all, building a nuclear power plant (more specifically a light water reactor) has long been one of the rewards offered by the US and the international community for North Korea’s denuclearization. Second, the idea has never been officially raised or discussed as a bilateral cooperation project by South and North Korea. Third, the project would be impossible without easing or relaxing the US and UN’s tough sanctions on the North.To elaborate on the first point, the international community promised to build light water reactors for North Korea if it followed through on denuclearization. In fact, construction actually began on a nuclear power plant in Sinpo, Pukchong County, South Hamgyong Province.That promise was part of the Agreed Framework, which the US and North Korea reached in Geneva on Oct. 21, 1994. Section I.1 of the agreement stated that the “US will undertake to make arrangements for the provision to the DPRK [North Korea] of a LWR [light water reactor] project with a total generating capacity of approximately 2,000 MWE by a target date of 2003.”
