LYCOS RETRIEVER 
North Korea: South Korean
built 655 days ago
The Bush administration concluded that diplomatic and economic pressure--including the threat of economic isolation--was the best way to stop North Korea's nuclear program. The administration said it would not agree to face-to-face talks with the North until it first abandoned its nuclear ambitions in a verifiable manner. In November, the United States persuaded South Korea, Japan, and the European Union to suspend oil deliveries that North Korea was receiving under the 1994 deal.
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For the first time in 56 years, trains passed between North and South Korea in May 2007. While the event was mostly symbolic, it was considered an important step toward reconciliation. South Korea hopes that eventually a trans-Korean railroad will provide easier access to other parts of Asia. Given North Korea's failing infrastructure, such a railroad... is years away from becoming a reality.
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In accordance with the terms of the Agreed Framework, in January 1995 the U.S. Government eased economic sanctions against North Korea in response to North Korea's freezing its graphite-moderated nuclear program under United States and IAEA verification. North Korea agreed to accept the decisions of KEDO, the financier and supplier of the LWRs, with respect to provision of the reactors. KEDO subsequently identified Sinpo as the LWR project site and held a groundbreaking ceremony in August 1997. In December 1999, KEDO and the (South) Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) signed the Turnkey Contract (TKC), permitting full-scale construction of the LWRs.
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South Korean lawmakers have agreed to spare the ministry responsible for relations with North Korea and reject a call for its closure made by the president-elect, local media reported on Saturday. via WNED.org
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The South Korean official said North Korea's efforts marked an important shift. "In the past, North Korea simply said no," he said. "Now they are trying to convince us," he was quoted as saying.
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Following World War II, Korea was split with the northern half coming under Communist domination and the southern portion becoming Western oriented. KIM Chong-il has ruled North Korea since his father and the country's founder, president KIM Il-song, died in 1994. After decades of mismanagement, the North relies heavily on international food aid to feed its population, while continuing to expend resources to maintain an army of about 1 million. North Korea's long-range missile development and research into nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and massive conventional armed forces are of major concern to the international community.
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