Nuclear visitors head back to North Korea

A group of North Korean senior officials and engineers in charge of nuclear power generation flew back to Pyeongyang Sunday after completing a two-week tour in the South. The 20 visitors responsible for building light-water reactors in the North arrived in Seoul on Dec. 16.

The North Korean delegation toured power generation facilities in the nuclear power plant in Uljin, which will serve as a model for the reactors to be built in South Hamgyeong province. They toured the training facility of the Goli generator, where North Korean engineers will be trained, Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, which will produce the reactor vessels for the light-water reactors, Daedeok research complex and the Korea Electric Power Corporation.

"We could tell that North Korean nuclear technology is highly developed when analyzing the questions that the North Korean officials asked the South Korean engineers," an official said. But the Northern officials seemed to be surprised at the South's advanced technology.

During the tour, the North Koreans did not wear their Kim Il-sung badges because they were reluctant to expose themselves as North Koreans.

"The visit showed that North Koreans are eager to gain as much knowledge as possible to resolve their power shortage," a well-informed source said.

Kim Hui-mun, deputy director general of the North's General Department of Atomic Energy, said to his South Korean counterparts that he was extremely satisfied with the two-week tour and education program.

North Korea is planning to send 290 engineers to South Korea in the latter half of 2002.

by Lee Young-jong