AFP
Monday, January 8, 2007
South Korea's unification minister, Seoul's top policymaker
on North Korea, predicted Monday that Pyongyang would not dare
conduct a second nuclear test because of the severe consequences
it would face.
Lee Jae-Joung told Yonhap news agency there were no signs that
Pyongyang, which conducted its first underground nuclear test
on October 9, would stage another.
"At present, no signs have been found yet," Lee said.
"Because it's well aware that a second nuclear test will
turn the current situation from dialogue to tougher sanctions,
I believe North Korea will not dare to conduct an additional nuclear
test."
A South Korean foreign ministry official said Friday that activity
had been detected at Punggye, near the site of the first test,
but there were no signs yet of preparations for a second explosion.
The official was speaking after US television network ABC reported
that North Korea appeared to have prepared for a repeat blast.
The first sparked worldwide concern and United Nations sanctions.
On Sunday, Chung Hyung-Keun, a South Korean opposition lawmaker
who was a deputy spy agency chief in the 1990s, said unusual personnel
and construction activity had recently been detected at Punggye.
Chung said North Korea was fully prepared for a repeat test but
was unlikely to go ahead pending the outcome of upcoming talks.
The latest round of six-nation talks on the North's nuclear programme
ended in Beijing in December without a breakthrough. The US State
Department said Friday the talks could resume as early as this
month.
Financial officials from North Korea and the United States are
scheduled to meet separately, possibly this month, to try to resolve
a row over US financial sanctions imposed over the North's alleged
counterfeiting and other illegal activities.
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