Posted on 06/29/2009 10:09:24 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
N. Korea enriching uranium as leader's health may be relapsing: S. Korea
SEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- North Korea appears to be "definitely" pressing ahead with uranium enrichment that would give it another means to build nuclear arms, South Korea's defense chief said Tuesday.
Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee also said in a parliamentary hearing that recent outside observations concerning North Korean leader Kim Jong-il could suggest he is experiencing a relapse in his health.
Kim, 67, reportedly suffered a stroke in August last year but has since recovered enough to reassert control over his secretive regime. Health experts say the risk of a relapse is a threat among stroke patients.
"The military is intensely monitoring (the situation) while bearing in mind the possibilities that Kim's health has degraded," Lee said, citing speculation that North Korea recently used an old photo of Kim to fabricate a report about a recent field inspection.
Lee professed his belief that North Korea is enriching uranium -- a second track to developing a nuclear bomb.
"It seems it is definitely being pursued," he said.
"Uranium enrichment can be conducted in a space as small as 600 square meters," he said. "It is easier to hide than plutonium reprocessing."
North Korea vowed on June 13 to go ahead with uranium enrichment in anger over a U.N. Security Council resolution that expands sanctions on it for its May 25 nuclear test.
Announcing it had achieved "enough success" in the development of uranium enrichment technology, the North also said it will weaponize all new plutonium it produces.
South Korea believes the North has about 40 kilograms of plutonium, enough to produce at least six bombs.
North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in 2006. South and North Korea remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.
Ping!
yitbos
This termite colony invented the fire-cracker. Why not send one up on the Fourth even a stroke victim can enjoy?
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