N. Korea must comply with Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty: official

VIENNA, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- North Korea must take steps to comply with the 2005 Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty to ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, a senior South Korean official said Tuesday.

In a keynote speech made at the 52nd General Conference of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Vice Science Minister Park Jong-koo said
keeping a check on North Korea's nuclear ambition is vital for preventing the
spread of nuclear weapons.
He said that Seoul is waiting for Pyongyang to comply with the September 19
declaration that calls on North Korea to give up all of its nuclear weapons and
development programs in exchange for economic assistance and other incentives.
Park then said that Seoul wants the IAEA to play a greater role in convincing the
North to give up its nuclear ambitions.
The official also urged the North to comply with safety regimes set by the IAEA
and return to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
North Korea had taken positive steps to dismantle its nuclear weapons programs,
but has started back-pedaling in recent weeks after colliding with Washington on
the issue of verification.
The United States has insisted that verification of past nuclear activities must
take place before the communist regime can be taken off the U.S. list of
terrorist-supporting countries.
The official, meanwhile, held talks with representatives from Kazakhstan to
outline the advantages of Seoul's next-generation system integrated modular
advanced reactor (SMART).
The reactor is designed to provide power to small urban areas and has been under
development for 10 years, with the first model to be completed in 2017-18.
South Korea is capable of designing and building its own nuclear power plants,
but has not been able to export a unit abroad.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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