IAEA report puts pressure on Seoul's bid to restart peace initiative

This satellite photo released in May by 38 North, a U.S.-based website for analysis of North Korea, shows satellite imagery of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear complex. Yonhap

IAEA says North Korea appears to have restarted nuclear reactor in Yongbyon

By Kang Seung-woo

A recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report indicating that North Korea has restarted its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon is likely to pour some cold water on South Korea's efforts toward the early resumption of the stalled Korean Peninsula peace process, according to diplomatic observers, Monday.

"Since early July, there have been indications, including the discharge of cooling water, consistent with the operation of the reactor," the IAEA said in its annual report, adding that there were no indications of reactor operation from early December 2018 to the beginning of July of this year.

"The new indications of the operation of the reactor and the radiochemical laboratory are deeply troubling," the report also said.

The report comes as Noh Kyu-duk, the South Korean chief nuclear envoy, flew to the United States, Sunday, to discuss with officials at the White House and the State Department ways to reactivate President Moon Jae-in's peace initiative.

"With the report coming to light, South Korea and the U.S. are likely to see their bandwidth limited in their move to restart the Korean Peninsula peace process," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean Studies at Ewha Womans University.

"Given the fact that the North Korean regime is set to continue to pressure the U.S. in the mid- to long-term, it remains to be seen how the allies will respond."

President Moon's peace initiative has been seeking engagement between South and North Korea and the United States in order to improve inter-Korean relations, but the unstable ties between the two Koreas have been stymieing the initiative.

However, with the U.S. grappling with the fallout of its withdrawal from Afghanistan, Seoul seems to have found room for negotiations with Washington to resume the peace process, Park noted.

When Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, visited Seoul last week, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong appealed to the importance of reactivating the Korean Peninsula peace process at an early date. In addition, ahead of his departure for Washington, D.C., Noh told reporters that he will discuss with U.S. officials ways for the early resumption of the peace process.

"When Sung Kim visited here, he provided a clear glimpse of the U.S. wanting to stably manage the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in that respect, the South Korean government seems to have taken steps to convince the U.S. administration to stand on the same line regarding the issue," Park said.

The professor added that the Biden administration will not oppose the idea, given that when the two Koreas are on good terms with each other, North Korea is less likely to stage a military provocation.

When Noh arrived in the U.S., Sunday (U.S. time), he said that South Korea and the U.S. were at a critical point for restarting the Korean Peninsula peace process.

"I came to Washington in order to continue the discussions I had with Special Representative Sung Kim in Seoul last week," Noh told reporters upon his arrival at Dulles International Airport.

"I wish to hold in-depth discussions on various issues related to the Korean Peninsula, including the North Korean nuclear issue, with U.S. government officials during my U.S. trip."