文 “Even if the conditions are not available, starting from the previous study”

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy released data related to the’North Korean nuclear power plant construction document’ on the 1st. yunhap news

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy released a report on North Korea’s nuclear power plant construction promotion (North Cone) on the 1st, but the wave is seldom subside. It is pointed out that the content of the report itself does not have a major problem, but it has been erased, and the government’s response in the form of not unconditionally raises suspicion.

The Ministry of Industry explained to the report that “we have reviewed various practical policy ideas in case the economic cooperation between the two Koreas is revitalized.” (Spokesman Shin Hee-dong on Jan. 31) This is a voluntary review.
But right after the April 27, 2018 inter-Korean summit On April 30, President Moon Jae-in said in a meeting of the chief advisors, “I hope that the follow-up measures will be carried out in a speedy manner.”
This was interpreted with the purpose of conducting a preliminary review even if it is a matter of inter-Korean cooperation that cannot be promoted immediately due to possible violations of sanctions. The Ministry of Industry’s North Cone report was made on May 14th. A government source said, “If the president has spoken to this extent, and if a higher level agency has not given instructions to each working department or received a follow-up report, it would be rather strange.”

President Moon Jae-in is attending a meeting of the chief and advisors held at the Blue House on the afternoon of the 1st, while the Blue House has taken a strong response to the suspicion of the North Korean nuclear power plant construction project raised by the opposition party, including the power of the people. [청와대사진기자단]

In particular, this was a time when discussions between the United States and South Korea were busy over how to construct a package between North Korea’s denuclearization measures and compensation measures to be provided accordingly. On May 4th, head of the National Security Office Eui-yong Eui-yong went to Washington to meet with National Security Advisor John Bolton of the White House, and the Blue House and the White House announced the next day that the “Korea-US summit will be held on May 22nd.”
Usually, before the summit meeting, each ministry is invited to submit various ideas to discover and prepare an agenda. At the time, it may have been a situation where the relevant ministry had to supply’live ammunition’ to President Moon as to what could be presented to President Donald Trump as a measure to support North Korea ahead of the summit meeting.

At the same time, high-level communication between the two Koreas, the United States, and Japan took place quickly. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited North Korea on May 9 and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. And in a media interview on May 13, right after returning to Korea, “North Korea will need a huge amount of electricity to develop, so Americans in the private sector will invest directly in building North Korea’s energy grid,” he suggested.
On May 9, the Korea-Japan summit was held in Tokyo, and the normalization of relations between North Korea and Japan was mentioned. Unfortunately, President Trump publicly demanded that on June 1, “Korea and Japan should bear the cost of (North Korean economic aid)”.

The site of Unit 2 after the construction of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) was suspended. yunhap news

The North Cone report said, “The decision-making body is jointly formed with foreign countries such as the US and Japan.” In addition, it is said that “a different implementation system needs to be reviewed depending on the participation of major countries such as the US and the method of financing.”
In addition, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported on May 6, 2018 that “North Korean ministries inspected the Sinpo light water reactor that was abandoned during construction, and received an instruction from the authorities to report in detail the possibility of resumption of construction and necessary materials.” It was evaluated as the most persuasive way to utilize the Sinpo light water reactor site, which was covered as No. 1 in the Bukwonchu report.

Before and after the actual inter-Korean dialogue process was put into operation, Chairman Kim repeatedly expressed his interest in nuclear power as a way to resolve the power shortage. At the 7th Party Congress in May 2016, he said, “We must push forward the construction of nuclear power plants at the same time and open the prospect of solving the power problem.” In the New Year’s speech in 2019, “Provinces, cities, and cities are building tidal power, wind power, and nuclear power generation capabilities. The military should effectively develop and use various energy resources in their region.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shakes hands with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (right), who visited North Korea in May 2018. yunhap news

In April 2019, the Supreme People’s Assembly also said, “We must actively develop promising energy resources including hydro, tidal and nuclear power to create more power generation capabilities.” Chairman Kim’s remarks were repeatedly cited and emphasized in various publications and research books published by research institutions such as Kim Il-Sung University.

The Ministry of Industry said, “It was closed without any further review or disclosure to the outside” of the North Cone report. “Therefore, it has never been promoted by government policy.” real In the heading of the North Cone Report, “※” is indicated and “This report is for internal review and is not the official position of the government.”
However, many of the former and current public officials who saw the report on the North Cone were inclined to clarify it. An official from a high-ranking public official said, “I don’t know why they would mark’it is not an official government position’ in the internal data to be viewed by themselves. This is the first time I have ever seen a report start with a denial.”
A public official said, “In general, the background behind the report or the policy goal to be achieved is described at the front of the report, but instead emphasized that it is not the position of the government, it seems that it is not often seen to enter the’consideration matters’ without such a background explanation. I said.
Reporters Yoo Ji-hye, Young-gyo Jeong, Jin-woo Jung [email protected]