North Korea began a uranium enrichment program shortly after signing the Geneva accords to end its nuclear program in 1994 or at least in 1996, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said Wednesday. Speaking to Yonhap News, Yu said, "What is certain is that the North began its uranium enrichment program very early on." But it is unclear how far the North got, how much uranium it has enriched, and how much enriched uranium it has turned into nuclear weapons, he added.
Yu said even if he knew, he could not discuss it. "Intelligence is shared" between countries concerned "but now is not the time to disclose it," he said.
A ministry official said, "Unlike in early days, when we took the question of plutonium somewhat lightly, we should deal seriously with the question of North Korea's uranium enrichment program from now on once the six-party nuclear talks resume."
North Korea denied the existence of any uranium enrichment program since 2002, when the U.S. raised suspicion about it, but changed tack last June, saying it had "successfully developed" uranium enrichment technology and was now testing it.
The technology is much easier to conceal than that needed to make weapons-grade plutonium from spent nuclear fuel rods, which was apparently used for the North's two nuclear weapons tests.