North Korea trying to enrich uranium, South says

[Adsos Letter]

Source: Reuters

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea appears to be enriching uranium, potentially giving the state that tested a plutonium-based nuclear device in May another path for making atomic weapons, South Korea's defense minister said on Tuesday.

"It is clear that they are moving forward with it," Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee told a parliamentary hearing, adding such a program is far easier to hide than the North's current plutonium-based program.

North Korea earlier this month responded to U.N. punishment for its nuclear test by saying it would start enriching uranium for a light-water reactor.

Experts said destitute North Korea lacks the technology and resources to build such a costly civilian reactor but may use the program as a cover to enrich uranium for weapons


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE55T1FX20090630

[Democracyinkind]

1. South Korea getting ready to kick some ass. I say.

Anyone noticed how SC has cranked up the rhetoric?
What are we to make of this?

They wouldn't have the balls to pick a fight, or would they?

[Hippo_Tron]

4. Given that North Korea could probably take out Seoul and Tokyo, I doubt it

We've placed ourselves in a position such that we're the only ones that can actually kick North Korea's ass.

[Democracyinkind]

5. I agree, even worse - I suspect they would even kick our 30,000 asses....

...given that we would not anticipate and ready ourselves.

But don't you notice the change of tone in the south korean press and policy statements?
They have made a really agressive turn, at least that's how it seems to me. Can't remember to ever have heard them make such statements... But I'm no expert.

[Hippo_Tron]

6. It's likely due to the fact that the right wingers are in power now

Kim Dae-Jung and Roh Moo-Hyun were members of the left wing party and consequently were more dovish on North Korea. They served during most of Bush's tenure. Lee Myung-Bak was inaugurated last year but North Korea wasn't particularly belligerent during that time. Now that they are being belligerent, we're seeing the response of a right wing South Korean government. Again, it's just words though, as they are under our security umbrella and don't have deterrent capabilities of their own.

[AndyA]

2. Keep it up, North Korea.

Things are about to go BOOM in your country...big time. They must be on a suicide mission or something. :shrug:

[hunter]

3. Uranium bombs are much easier to build.

Plutonium bombs are very complicated devices and everything has to be exactly right or they tend to fizzle, which probably explains the low yields of North Korea's current weapons.

Enriching uranium is difficult too, and expensive, but once you've got it those weapons are much more reliable.

Whatever North Korea's ultimate fate, it's a good bet there are going to be some truly horrible nuclear waste sites to clean up.