Posted on 02/06/2008 5:13:37 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
A N. Korean defector came out with a claim, which says that N. Korea built an uranium mine disguised as an iron mine near Sino-N. Korean border.
Kim Dong-han(alias, age:65,) a N. Korean defector who escaped N. Korea last December, came to Free North Korea Radio on Feb. 4, and gave us such a testimony. He used to be an administrative official at Yusun Coal Mine. He said he heard it directly from Chun Ik-sun, the chief engineer of Hoiryong Geological Survey and a son-in-law of the brother of Kim Young-il, N. Korean Prime Minister.
Mr. Kim and Mr. Chun used to serve at the same military unit. They worked together in the mining industry for decades, and talked to each other on numerous occasions.
Oryong Mine(translator's note: the mine in question) is (ostensibly) an iron mine which started its operation in 2005, after 17 years of exploration by N. Korea's General Bureau of Geological Survey. It is located at Obong-dong Valley, 70km away from China's Sanhe Custom's Office. It has iron ore with 36% of purity, and 120 million tons of it is estimated to be deposited there, which allows it to operate for decades.
In 2005, at the time of beginning its operation, the mine is under the control of Ministry of Mining, but since May, 2006, its control was turned over to 8th General Directorate of Military Engineering Bureau, and five thousand active duty soldiers were put into the mine. Mr. Kim said that the reason N. Korean authorities turned over the operation of Oryong Mine to the military is to conceal the fact that it is (actually) an uranium mine.
According to Mr. Kim, to disguise it as an iron mine, it is designed to mine iron ore on the surface, while mining of uranium is done below. He says that five thousand soldiers are working 24 hours a day in four shifts.
Furthermore, he said that there is an uranium processing facilities inside Hoiryong Paper Mill located along Hoiryong Creek(River?.)
Special treatment are said to be given to soldiers working there. Words are that, if you work three years at Oryong Mine, you would get out as a rich man. In other work(construction) sites, workers are given food made out of mixed grains, but the soldiers here are given food made out of white rice(translator's note: 100% rice -- prized over mixed grains) and paid well, too.
Kim Dae-sung
We can argue about whether this operation is for producing weapon's grade uranium or not. Still, we cannot be certain until outsiders go there and inspect it in person.
There could be other well-concealed nuclear facilities whose existence outsiders have never heard about, even as a mere rumor.
Here is the map of the location in question. The blue rectangle is the city of Hoiryong, and the black circle below is Obong Mountain. I suspect Obong-dong Valley is part of this mountain.
Ping!
Nice going Condi
A long time ago in mining school they told us we had no choice about where to put a mine. If we want to mine uranium we have to mine where the uranium is.
Therefore it makes it of more significance to put it aside for a few weeks. Accordingly, I am "giving up" FR for the Lent Season. (Not to mention I am also disgusted by the RINO takeover of the GOP back in the States and do not have much more to add to things here for awhile--and need some time to think about things).
Well, see you all some time after March 16th or so.
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