Agence France-Presse,
The head of US armed forces in South Korea on Monday expressed optimism about North Korea's nuclear disarmament process but said the communist country still posed a threat to peace and stability.
General B.B. Bell, commander of US troops in South Korea, said the North's return to an aid-for-disarmament deal reached in February at six-nation talks was “welcome news”.
UN inspectors visited the North last week to discuss shutting down its reactor, a source of bomb-making plutonium. The chief US nuclear envoy has said he expected the shutdown to begin by mid-July
“We are all very hopeful that the North Koreans will now live up to the agreements they have made. Today, there is an historical opportunity for the North Koreans to join the peaceful nations of the world,” Bell said in a speech to a local journalists' club.
“Again, we are hopeful.”
But the general warned that Pyongyang still posed a threat, noting its 1.2 million troops, long-range artillery deployed close to the border, its special forces and missiles.
He cited the possible combination of North Korea's missile and nuclear capabilities as “one of the biggest threats” to world peace.
“This threat is real; it has peninsular, regional and global implications; and we cannot and must not ignore it,” said Bell, who leads the US-South Korean combined forces including 29,500 American troops.
He said the short-range missiles that North Korea recently tested successfully were “advanced” weapons which could directly harm South Korea, its people and troops.
“These are modern and solid-fuel, which means that they are easy to handle and rapidly capable of being fired,” Bell said.
“They are technically threatening to this nation… The missiles of this nature could be used by any foreign nations to prosecute a tactical war.”
Bell reaffirmed the US-South Korean alliance dating back to the 1950-1953 Korean War would “continue to remain strong, … and if necessary rapidly and decisively defeat any attack”.
Under a February deal, the North must eventually completely dismantle the reactor and come clean on all of its nuclear programmes, including an enriched uranium-based scheme which it has denied operating.
In return, Pyongyang will eventually receive energy aid equivalent to one million tons of heavy fuel oil.
For closing the reactor in Yongbyon and allowing the International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors back in, North Korea will receive an initial 50,000 tons of fuel oil — which South Korea will begin shipping within two weeks.
