IV. North Korea’s nuclear programme

Chapter:

8. Nuclear arms control and non-proliferation

Source:

SIPRI Yearbook 2012

Author(s):

Shannon N. Kile, Sibylle Bauer

During 2011 the Six-Party Talks on the nuclear programme of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea) remained blocked by disagreement over the terms for restarting negotiations.¹ North Korea repeatedly stated its willingness to return to the talks but emphasized that it would not accept any preconditions for doing so.² South Korean and US officials insisted that North Korea must first halt its uranium-enrichment programme and impose a moratorium on nuclear weapon and missile tests before negotiations could resume. North Korea rejected this demand in separate meetings held in July 2011 with South Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator, Wi Sung-lac, and with the special US envoy on North Korean affairs, Glyn Davies.³ However, on 24 August, after a meeting between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, North Korea reportedly indicated that it would be willing to observe a moratorium on the production and testing of nuclear weapons and missiles in the context of resumed talks.⁴