Iran Military Forum

North Korea Vows to Continue Satellite Launches

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Source: http://www.juche-songun.ru/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1043:2012-04-09-17-50-05&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

16:11 20/04/2012

North Korea will continue satellite launches for peaceful purposes, a spokesman for the Korean Committee for Space Technology (KCST) said in a statement a week after a failed launch.

“The DPRK's satellites for peaceful purposes will be put into space one after another,” the statement, posted on Korean Central News Agency’s website, said.

The statement gives no specific launch date.

“We have a comprehensive state plan for space development including expansion and strengthening of space development institutions as required by latest science and technology and continued launch of working satellites needed for the country's economic development,” KCST said.

KCST also said its scientists have completed a probe into the causes of the launch failure, but the statement gave no specific details.

The Unha-3 rocket - which the North said would put a satellite into orbit, but the West described as a cover for a missile technology test - was launched from the country’s northwest early last Friday. The launch was timed to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the nation's late founding leader Kim Il-sung.

According to officials from U.S., South Korea and Japan, who monitored the launch, the rocket appeared to break apart minutes after blastoff.
 
Source
http://en.rian.ru/world/20120420/172937195.html

Space Conquest Is Inviolable Sovereign Right

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Korean reply to the U.S. scenario for world domination by dividing the Korean peninsula: inevitable outcome of the imposed Korean space race opposing North tortoise and South hare.
Source:  http://www.juche-songun.ru/joomla/images/stories/24.10.10-9.jpg

S. Korean Newspaper on DPRK′s Planned Satellite Launch

Pyongyang, April 6 (KCNA) -- The south Korean Internet paper Thongil News carried an article titled "Let the south's satellite be launched by the north's carrier rocket Unha" on April 2.

One rare idea comes up to my head over the controversy of satellite or missile. That is "the south and the north should meet and proclaim the Federal Republic of Corea and put the south artificial satellite into orbit by the north's carrier rocket Unha".

Then no country in the world will find fault with it, questioning whether it is a satellite or missile.

This is not a dream. This dream can and must come true. -0-

Source
http://www.kcna.kp./goHome.do?lang=eng

Pyongyang, May 3 (KCNA) -- Mankind in the 21st century entered the great era of outer space.

Over a hundred nations have acceded to the Outer Space Treaty and buckled down to conquering space.

Space development has become an indispensable element for state development because space conquest is a symbol of a country's prosperity and sovereignty.

A satellite is a complex of science and technology and, especially its launch technology is part of ultra modern science and technology including the technology of separating satellite from a carrier rocket.

Since the former Soviet Union successfully launched its satellite on October 4, 1957 for the first time, various countries have set about developing space. The number of satellites and space vehicles put by various countries into orbit by the end of 1989 reached 3 960.

The world considers the level of space development as a yardstick for an advanced state.

Space industry is regarded as a major one in the 21st century along with IT and nuclear industry.

The DPRK has steadily advanced along the road of space development for peaceful purposes in line with the global trend of space development.

The DPRK's launch of satellites by carrier means manufactured by itself and with its indigenous technology a hundred percent is a noticeable success in the world history of space development.

Whether a country more frequently conquers space in this age of ultra modern science and technology or not is a matter on which its fate hinges -- whether it stands on its own foot in politics, economy and military affair or relies on others.

This is clearly evidenced by the fact that the U.S. seeks to dominate the world through its Global Positioning System (GPS) and different countries and regions are making efforts to develop their own system to counter it.

It is an inviolable independent right for a sovereign state to develop the outer space for peaceful purposes.

Since the period of Cold War the U.S. has unilaterally put an embargo on the export of satellites and their related equipment in this field and has played the role of a disturber.

It was the aims sought by the U.S. and its allies to bar other countries including anti-imperialist independent countries from putting satellites into space and monopolize it.

The U.S. feigned ignorance of those countries meekly obedient to it launching satellites or inter-continental ballistic missiles, while disallowing those countries incurring its displeasure to launch even satellites for peaceful purposes and malignantly slandering them. This is the wicked intentions of the U.S. and its allies.

Their application of such double standards has reached an extreme phase over the satellite launch of the DPRK.

The history of the world space development does not know such precedent in which satellite launch for peaceful purposes has been interpreted as a missile launch.

Only the DPRK has become the target of the U.S. and its allies' pressure and smear campaign in which its satellite launch is labeled long-range missile launch.

The U.S. and Japan took the lead in pulling up the DPRK over its satellite launch though they have rushed headlong into space militarization, going against the trend of the times, and polluted space. Why?

Their ulterior aim is to deter the DPRK from growing stronger in its national power and sovereignty through space development and prevent it from emerging a power at any cost.

The DPRK's struggle to conquer space is a just struggle to achieve economic development and the prosperity of the country and defend the sovereignty of the country and the nation.

No one can block the DPRK in its grand drive for conquering space.

Many more satellites of the DPRK will be launched into space. -0-

Source
http://www.kcna.kp./goHome.do?lang=eng

Lee Myung Bak Group and Other Hostile Forces Accused of Smear Campaign over DPRK′s Satellite Launch

Pyongyang, May 10 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea Thursday gave the following answer to the question put by KCNA as regards the fact that the Lee Myung Bak group of south Korea and other hostile forces recently pulled up the DPRK over expense for satellite launch:

The Lee group of traitors was reported to have impudently pulled up the DPRK over its satellite launch, etc. recently, claiming a huge amount of money might be spent for the missile launch and that amount of money would be enough to buy a lot of food.

Traitor Lee Myung Bak invited even primary school children to Chongwadae and chided the north "for spending a lot of money for missile launch."

Chon Yong U, presidential secretary for diplomacy and security of Chongwadae, Ryu U Ik, minister of Unification, and other yes men of Lee vied with each other to join in the anti-DPRK smear campaign.

The U.S. was so ridiculous as to urge the DPRK to give up nuclear development and rocket launch and improve the people's living standard as part of the anti-DPRK smear campaign over its moves to bolster its nuclear deterrence and push forward its plan for space development for peaceful purposes. There are some persons who blindly echo its rhetoric.

This is an intolerable insult to the dignity and sovereignty of the DPRK and a grave provocation and mockery of its army and people.

The hostile forces are noisily trumpeting that the DPRK would receive any reward in return for dismantling nukes and stopping the missile launch.

They even claim that some other countries may launch the DPRK's satellites.

Such allurement may work on others but not on the DPRK.

The people of the DPRK will never allow their dignity and sovereignty to be bartered for a huge amount of money or something else.

It is preposterous, indeed, for the U.S. to talk about someone's expense as it tops the world list of military spending.

The above-said smear campaign kicked off by the Lee group and the U.S. is nothing but the last-ditch effort of those frightened by the Songun power of the DPRK and a foolish attempt to break its single-minded unity.

No matter what high expense the army and people of the DPRK have to cover, they will further bolster its defence capability including nuclear deterrence to firmly protect its dignity and sovereignty. -0-

Source
http://www.kcna.kp./goHome.do?lang=eng

S. Korean NA Accused of Pulling up DPRK over Satellite Launch: Rodong Sinmun

Pyongyang, May 11 (KCNA) -- Some time ago, the south Korean puppet forces railroaded through the "National Assembly" session a "resolution" condemning the DPRK's launch of satellite as a long-range missile launch.

...

The DPRK will not be bound to the "resolution" but launch more and more satellites into space in the future. -0-

Source
http://www.kcna.kp./goHome.do?lang=eng

DPRK's Satellites for Peaceful Purposes to Continue Orbiting Space: KCST Spokesman

April 19. 2012 Juch 101

Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Korean Committee for Space Technology (KCST) Thursday released the following statement:

Since the KCST's announcement of the planned launch of satellite Kwangmyongsong-3 on March 16, the issue of the DPRK's satellite launch has become topic of debate in the world.

Those who sympathize with truth and love justice were unanimous in praising the plan with much expectation.

Scientists and technicians of the DPRK have already wound up the specific and scientific probe into the cause of Kwangmyongsong-3's failure to enter its orbit.

All the scientific and technological data and precious experience gained this time will serve as a very precious boon to space development and a reliable guarantee for greater success in the days ahead.

We have a comprehensive state plan for space development including expansion and strengthening of space development institutions as required by latest science and technology and continued launch of working satellites needed for the country's economic development.

The world will clearly know how the struggle for justice and truth for protecting sovereignty will be crowned with victory, while watching dignified satellites of the DPRK being put into vast space one after another.

Source
http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2012/201204/2012-04-19.html

20/04/2012 00:11:29

The Unha-3 carrier was working normaly until reaching the stratosphere.

A problem has occurred in the upper atmospheric when crossing the jet stream and stratospheric anticyclone pressure, where it faced polar jet stream, a possible cause of the launch failure.

Source
http://www.minjok.com/news/news_view.php?code=37119

Background: the uniqueness of the unstoppable DPRK

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Sangeshkan_Cave's commentary: As the Land Of The Morning Calm was blessed by the heavens, the most auspicious meteorite shower coming literally out from the blue, have deposited in ancient times, one of the largest rare earth mineral deposit on its soil. These amounts to 23 million tons, or 13 percent of the total rare earth world reserves. China producing annualy over 130,000 metric tonnes or 98 percent of the world total production, with the world first deposit reserve amounting to 58 percent of the world reserve.

The DPRK differs from the U.S. and other super powers in that it uses its rare earth to produce not only cell phones, PCs and TV displays, rare earth magnets, X-ray tubes, computer memories, neutron capture, MRI contrast agent, NMR relaxation agent and other civilian consumer products, but also military technologies like tank sights, lasers, masers,  radar, missile-guidance systems, satellites and aircraft electronics, etc...

Source
http://www.iranmilitaryforum.net/space-technology-and-news/north-korea-to-launch-satellite-in-april/msg113324/#msg113324

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Jun. 17, 2009 13:07 KST

In addition, North Korea has the largest uranium reserve in the world. With uranium, mass production of nuclear weapons is possible. If it manages to enrich sufficient quality uranium, the number of nuclear warheads will increase explosively. Not recognizing a country that has tens or hundreds of intercontinental ballistic nuclear warheads as a nuclear power may be a political tactic, but it is pointless. The world moves by facts, not words.

Source
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/06/17/2009061700835.html

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DPRK has more uranium than the total world reserves

Dated 7 June 2011 

Even with a ban on import of uranium, Korea can build nuclear weapons relying solely on its own uranium deposit. That is made possible as Korea has the world's largest uranium deposits, with 26 million metric tons of uranium classed as mineral resources  (reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction) and 4 million metric tons of uranium ore reserves (economically viable).

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) under the International Energy Agency (IEA) reports 4,743,000 gross tons of total uranium ore world reserves. Among them, Australia  with 1,143,000 gross tons, Kazakhstan (816,000 tons), Canada (444,000 tons), United States (342,000 tons), South Africa (341,000 tons).

However, Korea alone has a recoverable amount 4,000,000 tons of natural uranium.



Source
http://blog.daum.net/_blog/BlogTypeView.do?blogid=079FA&articleno=3913552&_bloghome_menu=recenttext

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N. Korea has lots of key mineral deposits: report

2012/04/30 17:24 KST

N. Korea has lots of key mineral deposits: report SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has ample key mineral deposits such as anthracite coal, magnesite and uranium, a pro-North Korean newspaper in Japan reported Monday.

The North is estimated to have 15 billion tons of anthracite coal, a key mineral Pyongyang uses to produce steel, the Choson Sinbo newspaper said.

Source
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2012/04/30/0401000000AEN20120430003600315.HTML

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Korea Has World's Second-largest Anthracite Coal Reserves

[2012-04-30, 18:07:27]

A pro-North Korean newspaper published in Japan says North Korea is estimated to have 15 billion tons of anthracite coal reserves, the second largest amount in the world.

The Choson Sinbo on Monday reported that North Korea has developed the steel industry by using anthracite coal instead of coke. The paper said that if the North starts to produce steel on a large scale using its exclusive production method, it would significantly boost the North Korean economy.

The paper added that North Korea has a rich repository of various underground resources, saying the North has the world’s third-largest zinc reserves and ninth-largest tungsten reserves.

The newspaper also said that in particular, North Korea has abundant mineral sources essential for the development of advance technology, such as uranium, manganese and titanium. It added the North has five-point-four billion tons of magnesite reserves.

Source
http://english.kbs.co.kr/News/News/News_view.html?No=89997&id=IK

History of the Korean nuclear activities

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Starting from 1930s, under Japanese occupation

Jan 20, 2012

The earliest known references to any nuclear related activities on the Korean Peninsula date to the 1930s when Japanese geologists reported the presence of monazite and several then-new radioactive minerals along the shores of the Taedong-gang and Ch'ongch'on-gang.

Source
http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-CBRN-Assessments/Production-Capability-Korea-North.html

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During the time of the Pacific War (Second World War)

Sangeshkan_Cave's commentary

Suspecting the US of been planning to develop the atom bomb, as the export of uranium ore was suddenly forbidden in 1939, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto asked Dr Yoji Ito to make a "new weapon to win the war". For this, in January 1940 he was sent to inspect war-preparations in Europe. Upon his return in Japan, there was a meeting and finally the Japanese top physicists decided that Japan could not develop the atomic bomb  during war time. Instead, [...]

...

Japanese Imperial Army researchers attempting to develop the world first [...]

...the Japanese scientists under the lead of Dr Yoshio Nishina's pioneering works were nonetheless able to compensate as a stop gap alternative with the developpement of higher output electric power plant, with the world first field miniaturised nuclear power plants, made possible by his 1940 discovery of the Uranium-237 radioisotope and symmetric fission phenomenon by fast neutron irradiation. For this purpose, the world first uranium enrichment facilities were settled in deep underground tunnels of the occupied Korea mountainous Hamheung (Hamyong, Hamhung) region, benefiting from the solid experience of having build earlier in 1940 the largest cyclotrons in the world in Nishina Tokyo Laboratory of the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research.

Meanwhile, at the initiative of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Combined Fleet, Captain Kameto Kuroshima was commissioned to make a feasibility study for totaly new revolutionary seaborne  platforms. On 13 January 1942, Yamamoto submitted the resulting proposal to Fleet Headquarters: the world first fleet of no less than 18 strategic nuclear powered submarines all able of making three round-trips to the US Atlantic coast or one round-trip to any point on the globe, without refueling nor surfacing [while remaining undetected thanks to their anechoic coatings]. The submarine aircraft carrier group would include nuclear submarine aircraft carriers (SSPVN), escorting nuclear fast attack submarines (SSPN), nuclear transport and replenishment submarines. Both would be fitted with a single internal short range all purpose [...], complementing more conventional torpedo tubes. The first Sentoku I-400-class SSPVN nuclear submarine aircraft carrier was laid down at Kure Dock Yards on 18 January 1943. The first Sentaka I-201 class SSPN nuclear fast attack submarine was laid down on 1 March 1944 at Kure Naval Arsenal, it would achieve the fastest speed for an operational submarine of the Pacific War. The first Senho I-351 class nuclear transport submarine was laid down on 1 Mai 1943 Kure Naval Arsenal.

To celebrate the dawn of this new era, the 1942 National Anthem of Manchukuo puppet state was specialy introduced to trumpet the most auspicious advent of the Tenno's Divine Light (大御光　天地に充ち/神光開宇宙).   

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1945

1/21/2012

American bombing raids disrupted the [Japanese nuclear] development process and destroyed both raw material and equipment at the Institute for Physical and Chemical Research. The effort was relocated to Konan or Hungnam, in North Korea in early 1945.

This industrial region was close to the source of uranium ore and was in less danger of attack than mainland Japan. This move delayed the development by three months. In a last ditch effort in 1944, lacking adult manpower, young Japanese children were recruited to mine uranium.   

Source
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/mragheb/www/NPRE%20402%20ME%20405%20Nuclear%20Power%20Engineering/Japanese%20Nuclear%20Weapons%20Program.pdf

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1945 photo of Korea's Hamheung nuclear facilities. Source: http://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/news/091204_p04_japan.jpg

2010/01/12

Hamheung, a 15 square miles, which at its peak probably had about 45,000 personnel, many of them ``Korean laborers, conscripted students, convicts, and prisoners of war,'' who were primarily involved in ``manufacturing synthetic fuel, explosives, and industrial chemicals.'' [...] there were only five buildings in Hamheung that the United States was unsure of their purpose.

...

The Hog Wild was one of the newest B-29s and was equipped with the most sophisticated radar and a high-precision K-20 camera. Unlike the first two B-29s, the Hog Wild circled Hamheung several times before the suspicious Russians sent four fighters that intercepted and ordered it to land at a nearby Russian-controlled airfield.

Source
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/01/120_56715.html

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1945-1950, under Soviet occupation

Jan 20, 2012

The Soviets became involved in mining monazite, thorium and uranium from the end of the Second World War until the Korean War.

Source
http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-CBRN-Assessments/Production-Capability-Korea-North.html

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Korean War 1950-1953

2010/01/12

There were, however, reports in October 1950 that the South Korean army captured a large underground bunker and complex in the Hamheung area believed to be a Russian uranium processing plant but the next month the United States military refuted the story.

Source
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/01/120_56715.html

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Since the Korean War (1953-)

Jan 20, 2012

Throughout the early 1960s both the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Soviet Union helped North Korea conduct geological surveys for uranium and other rare earth minerals, although mining of such materials was allocated only minor priority. With the establishment of the Yongbyon Atomic Energy Research Centre (AERC) and Pakch'on AERC in 1962, and the Soviet provision of a 0.1 megawatt thermal (MWt) critical mass and 2 MWt IRT-2000 reactor, interest in uranium mining increased. It wasn't, however, until the mid-1970s that North Korea began significant uranium mining operations.In 1978, construction commenced on a dedicated uranium milling facility at Pakch'on. This was followed by a uranium processing facility the following year at Kusong. These facilities became operational between 1981 and 1983. This was accompanied by the expansion of uranium mining activities throughout the country including in Hamhung-Hungnam area, P'yongsan, Pakch'on, Sinp'o, Sunchon and Unggi. In 1981, construction began on a second dedicated uranium milling facility at P'yongsan,
 

Military North Korea's nuclear programmes fall under the jurisdiction of the Korean Workers' Party (KWP) Munitions Industry Department and its subordinate Nuclear Bureau. The Nuclear Bureau controls the General Department of Atomic Energy under the Cabinet. In fact, most members of the latter organisation may be Nuclear Bureau personnel. Additionally, the Munitions Industry Department's Second Academy of Natural Sciences administers nuclear related research institutes and laboratories and oversees the scientific departments and institutes of all DPRK colleges and universities (e.g., Nuclear Physics Department at Kim Il-sung University). The Second Economic Committee, through the Fifth Machine Industry Bureau, is also involved in the development and production of nuclear weapons and related technologies. The Academy of Sciences is responsible for the nominally civilian scientific aspects of the nuclear programme, including education and theoretical and practical research, while the Ministry of Mining Industry oversees the mining of uranium and rare earth elements.There is a distinct possibility that there are additional ad hoc or permanent entities involved in the development and production of nuclear technology and weapons that are unknown outside of North Korea.In October 2009, the South Korean Ministry of National Defence stated that it had identified approximately 100 nuclear-related locations within the DPRK. This figure includes research centres, laboratories, mines, the facilities at Yongbyon and others.ResearchThe majority of North Korea's practical nuclear research, development and production infrastructure is centred around the ancient city of Yongbyon. It is located approximately 85 km north of the capital of P'yongyang, within Pundang-ku, in Yongbyon-gun, P'yongan-bukto.

Source
http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-CBRN-Assessments/Production-Capability-Korea-North.html

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Account of North Korea's Nuclear Labs

20 Oct 2002 12:24:40

Lee Mi (not her real name) was born in 1955 in Pungsuh-gun, Jagang-do 両江道豊西郡) and graduated from the Pyongyang Physics College (平北物理大学) in 1974.  The college was headed by Dr. Kim Myong Whan (金明煥).  Upon graduation,  Lee was assigned to a nuke lab, where she worked until her dismissal on February 21, 1999.   

Map: North Korea's nuclear labs. 

She escaped to China in September 2000 and later, went to a third country (probably South Korea or the United States).  It is believed that her first-hand account of  North Korea's nuclear weapons program was a key factor leading to the public disclosure of Kim Jong Il's nukes in recent weeks.

Park Kwang Ho (朴官五 - currently, president of the Kim Il Sung University) directed the nuclear program prior to the inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency  (IAEA) in 1990.   Kim Jong Il took over right after the inspection.  After Kim Il Sung died in 1994, central controls and supplies diminished somewhat for a while but now the controls are tighter and the lab gets all the supplies it needs. 

There are several nuke labs in North Korea.  They are code-named: The 101st Research Lab, The 304th Research Lab, The 206th Research Lab, The 175th Industry, The 66th Industry, The August Industry, The February Industry and so on.  There is no open communication among the lab workers, who are paid 20-30 percent extra for security. Lee worked at the 304th Research Lab located in Bungang (分江) near Youngpyong.

Dr. Doh Won Son directs the lab.  He came from South Korea in 1950.  Dr. Kim Do Sul is a section chief.  He studied at the Dubna Lab in the Soviet Union.   Some of the key staff members are: Dr. Park Myong Jung (studied nuclear physics for 15 years abroad),  Dr. Whang Jung Man (studied in the Soviet Union), Dr. Kim Jong Bok (studied at Dubna), Kim Gyong Sung (Dubna),  Dr. Kim Duk Soo (Dubna), Hyun Chul (Dubna), Kim Do Whi (Czechoslovakia), and Kim Oh Gyo (the Soviet Union). The 304th Lab operates a reactor built with Soviet assistance. Most of the lab equipment are of Soviet origin or design. The lab workers live in housing areas provided by the lab. 

North Korea's nuclear weapons program began in 1950, when Kim Il Sung ordered Lee Hak Mun, a two-time national hero medal winner, to develop nuclear weapons. Lee Hak Mun recruited Dr. Lee Sung Ki (李勝基),  Dr. Doh Won Sung, Do Sang Rok and other prominent South Korean scientists during North Korea's brief occupation of South Korea in 1950.  A nuke lab was established at Bungang (平安北道寧辺郡分江特区) in late 1950. Dr. Lee Sung Ki set up a branch lab in Hamhung and Doh Wong Sup and Kim Do Sul headed the main lat at Bungang.

The 304th Lab is primarily for nuclear weapons development but it also does research and development in chemical weapons.  More than 70 percents of the staff are foreign-trained experts. The staff numbers about 150.  The lab has research areas, shower rooms for radiation safety,  and other modern nuclear weapons research facilities. Doctoral staff members head research teams of technical assistants.   

The 206th Lab is mainly (70-80%) made of physicists numbering about 100. It is also located at Bungang and doe research and development of new weapons.  The Applications Research Institute (利用研究所) performs research and development of military technology in general.  It has s staff of about 150.   The 175th Industry builds equipment needed by nuke labs.   The August Industry started after the IAEA inspection in 1990.  It is located inside a forest and is connected to Bunsang via a rail road.  It processes uranium compounds needed by nuke labs.   The 101st Research Lab has a staff  of about 100.  It is comparable to the 304th and 206th nuke labs and performs research and development.

The 66th Industry is a support service organization responsible for plant construction and maintenance. It also builds living quarters for the lab staff members and provides daily necessities of the labs and staff. It is a large enterprise employing over 20,000 workers.  The Trading and Supply Company (輸出入資材商社) acquires materials from foreign sources for nuke labs. The February Industry (２月企業所) was created after the 1990 inspection.  It operates a reactor.   

 Nuclear facilities operate in caves dug deep into mountains: the Yaksan, Dongdeh, and Sokdeh mountains. 

The underground facilities were constructed by the 66th Industry deep beneath Mt. Yaksan at a huge human costs. Many workers died in various accidents during the construction. 

Map:  Entrance to the Yaksan underground facility.

The construction began in 1965 and completed in 1970.  The underground caves branch out into different interconnected tunnels. The complex is extremely large and well illuminated. Its entrance is large enough for trucks to enter.  Concrete walls block the entrance and clever camouflage hide it from outsiders.     

The caves are used to hide lab equipment and other evidence of nuclear weapons program in case of inspections or other events. During the IAEA inspection, tell-tale equipment and materials were secretly moved into the Yaksan cave. During the inspection, the lab staff members wore military uniforms.  The Mt. Sokdeh facility is located near residential areas. It is next to a hospital. It is a shelter for the lab staff in case of an emergency.   There are two entrances to this underground facility, which has its own power generation.   

The Pyongyang Physics College is guarded by armed sentries. It is housed in a 2-story apartment building next to a hospital in Pyongyang.  Its students are mostly children of the scientists at nuke labs. The students come from well-established party cadres and selected from the brightest high school graduates. The College is under the direct control of the Workers' Party of Korea.  It has about 300 students and a staff of 50 or so. The staff members are selected from the basic research scientists at nuke labs.   

In 1990, the world was astonished to learn that North Korea had nuclear weapons and the United States forced North Korea to accept an IAEA inspection. The staff members at Bungang were given temporary military ranks and uniforms, and moved with their families to a secret hiding place. A new site was constructed at Pyongsan (黄海南道平山郡).  Lee's elder sister's husband directed the mass migration of the staff and family.  The lab equipment were moved to a hiding place. The reactor is now at the February Industry attached to the 304th Research Lab.

Lee has no direct knowledge of nuclear weapons actually assembled.  Research ideas of staff members are passed on to senior research project managers, who pass viable ideas to experimental labs operated by other groups.  The originators of ideas are excluded from experimentation.  Several researchers have been exposed to radiation over dose and had deformed children.   

The Bungan lab was created in the late 1950 with the help of Soviet scientists and advisors. Special living quarters were built along Guwol-gang (九龍江) River and the staff members were bused to the lab.  Families lived in the staff quarters. Chosen members were sent to China, Russia and other nations to study nuclear physics and chemistry.  The staff scientists are not allowed to travel abroad or even within North Korea on their own.   If a problem cannot be resolved by the staff, then special permission is given to go abroad to find the solution. Some of the staff members sent abroad engaged in reactionary activities and were sent to labor camps.

As stated earlier, the nuclear weapons program was started in late 1950 under the direction of Lee  Hak Mun. When the war ended in 1953, a branch lab was established in Hamhung.  There were about 200 Soviet and foreign advisors working at the lab.  Some time before 1970,  North Korean security agents broke into the safe that kept secret blue prints and made a cope of them.  Soon after, the foreign advisors were sent home.   

The reactor at Bungang was built in the 1950s. Later, new reactors were built at a branch lab and at the February Industry after the 1990 IAEA inspection. In the early days, reactor parts came from the Soviet Union but in the later days, they came from China. Uranium is mined domestically.   

Dr. Kim So In is the son of Prof. Kim Do Sul. The younger Kim in still in his 30s. His father and mother are both nuclear scientists. Kim So In's younger brother, also a scientist, works under him.  Dr. Kim So In was born at Dubna and returned home when he was 3. Kim So In is considered to be a genius. At age seven, he entered the Bungang High School (分江高等中学校).  Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il took note of the boy genius and had him educated at the Kim Il Sung University under an individual tutelage. At age 13, he was sent abroad to study nuclear physics.  He received a master's degree at age 19 and a doctorate at age 21. 

Dr. Kim So In is a member of the young scientists nurtured by Kim Il Sung. Kim So In is being groomed to succeed Dr. Lee Sung Gi at the lab in Hamhung. Kim Jong Il has a core of about 20 young scientists, like Dr. Kim So In, working on research and development of modern warfare. They receive the best care North Korea can provide.  Their whereabouts are kept secret.

Dr. Kim So In is married to Dr. Lee Sung Gi's daughter, and is the leader of the this group. He reports directly to Kim Jong Il.  Kim Jong Il said: "I will unite the country with the help of these young scientists."     

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Lee Wha Rang notes:  Lee's statements are inaccurate. North Korea's bomb was made possible by three noted scientists:

• Dr. Lee Sung Ki, a world-class chemist. Dr. Lee Sung Ki (1905 - 1996) was noted for his invention of vi nylon and his devotion to make man-made textiles for the poor of Korea. He invented high-explosives for North Korea's artillery - called "Lee Sung Ki canons" in his honor. Dr. Lee was the first director of North Korea's Atomic Energy Agency and directed its nuclear weapons program.
• Dr. Do Sang Rok (1903 - 1990) was a quantum field theorist. He published research papers on quantum mechanics in Japan and the US as early as 1930. He was an expert on nuclear matters and nuclear energy. He built his own particle accelerator and conducted North Korea's first experiment on nuclear reactions.
• Dr. Han In Suk was born in South Korea and studied physics in Japan and Germany before Liberation. He taught physics at the Seoul National University after Liberation but fled to North Korea soon after. After the Korean War, he studied physics at Moscow University. He returned to Pyongyang in 1960 and published numerous research papers on nuclear physics.

In addition to these three renowned scientists, there were many other outstanding scientists: Dr. Kim Gyng Wan, a chemist and president of Kim Chaik University; Dr. Yo Gyong Ku, a son of Yo Wun Hyung, who studied nuclear physics in the USSR; Dr. Jung Gun, Dr. Choe Hak Soon, Dr. Keh Yong Soon and Dr. Park Kwan Oh. Several hundred of North Korea's top scientists studied at the Dubna Nuclear Research Institute in the USSR.

Source
http://www.korean-war.com/Archives/2002/10/msg00166.html

Quote

20 Oct 2002 16:27:26

Some people suspect that NK has perfected a laser-isotope separation technology. The device is said to be of the size of a coffin (?),  easy to hide and sell abroad,  NK stands to make a fortune selling it  - hence Bush's sudden interest in the NK nuke program. 

Source
http://www.korean-war.com/Archives/2002/10/msg00169.html

Quote

2012-05-02 20:02

As for its stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium, the North has accumulated now some 40 kg of plutonium after it reprocessed spent fuel rods at least three times in 2003, 2005 and 2009, according to the expert.

Given some 6 kg of plutonium is needed to build a single bomb, the North is thought to have produced six to seven plutonium-based bombs. With the HEU bombs, the North is presumed to have at least 10 nuclear weapons.

The expert also said that the North has some 3,000 nuclear experts, who are currently working at the Yongbyon complex, college-based research institutes and other state centers.

The North has some 26 million tons of unenriched uranium in reserve and about 4 million tons are minable, the expert said. As of 2010, the world’s [yearly] uranium supply was tallied at around 71,000 tons.

Source
http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20120502001410

Apr 24, 2012 17:29 Moscow Time

Some experts do not rule out that North Korea could carry out the nuclear test at the time of the  G8 summit scheduled for the 18th -19th of May in the US President’s country residence in Camp David.

Source
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_04_24/72774500/

Korea's nuclear test would be 'different, bigger': ex-U.S. envoy

2012/04/25 14:35 KST

SEOUL, April 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea may be preparing to carry out a third nuclear test that would be "somehow different and bigger" than its previous two tests, a former chief U.S. nuclear envoy said Wednesday, suggesting Pyongyang would try an atomic device using highly enriched uranium for the first time.

Source
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2012/04/25/0401000000AEN20120425002500315.HTML

[2012-04-26 16:58 ] 

The authorities in the Russian Far East believe it highly likely that North Korea will conduct a nuclear test within a week, according to Japanese news agency Kyodo.

According to the official cited by Kyodo yesterday, “It seems possible that North Korea’s third nuclear test will be conducted within a week. We have evidence for this judgment.”

“If the nuclear test happens in the period before Prime Minister Putin takes office as President on May 7th then it could be very unpleasant for Russia,” the source went on.

Meanwhile, U.S. network NBC also rasserted today, “It is 100% likely that North Korea will conduct a nuclear test within the next two weeks," while Reuters also reported an exclusive source as saying, “North Korea has almost completed preparations for a third nuclear test.”

Source
http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9165

28 April, 2012, 12:33


Satellite imagery reveals an escalation in activity at North Korea’s Punggye-ri atomic site in possible preparation for a third nuclear test.

Source
http://rt.com/news/north-korea-photo-nuclear-test-188/

Post Published: 27 April 2012

Figure 1: Punggye-ri Nuclear Excavation (March 8, 2012)


Figure 2: Punggye-ri Nuclear Excavation (March 27, 2012)


Figure 3: Most recent satellite picture of Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Facility (April 18, 2012)


Figure 4: 3D Model of Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Facility


Figure 5: Successive March – April 2012 imagery shows increasing activity around spoil pile.

Source
http://38north.org/2012/04/punggyeri042712/

North Korea may conduct third nuclear test this week

30/04/2012 5:12

TOKYO, April 30. / Correspondent. ITAR-TASS Igor Belyaev /. North Korea may conduct third nuclear test this week. This agency Kyodo reported today.

According to the agency, relevant information to U.S. authorities handed over the government of South Korea. Pyongyang, as observers note, can have from 12 to several dozen nuclear warheads. One of them can be blown up this week.

Last week, South Korean Defense Ministry also said that the DPRK are ready for a new nuclear test. "We found out that now we need only to make a political decision," - told reporters in Seoul, the representative of the military.

New nuclear explosion can be conducted at the site, nor Punge in northeast North Korea. There's North Korea has carried out two previous underground testing in 2006 and 2009.

Source
http://www.itar-tass.com/c96/406322.html&usg=ALkJrhhrRXbhyl7_zAMkhia7CAgOdqNQvw

Official Korean hints of the imminent nuclear test

Quote

Rodong Sinmun Terms U.S. World's Biggest Nuclear Criminal State

April 29. 2012 Juch 101

Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- The United States is advocating a "world without nuclear weapons" and letting loose rhetoric that it will spearhead the struggle for building it. But it is the world's biggest nuclear criminal. Rodong Sinmun Sunday says this in a bylined article.

The article cites concrete facts to prove that the U.S. is the biggest criminal that inflicted nuclear disasters upon mankind and triggered off a nuclear arms race in the world.

It went on:

The U.S. imperialists' reckless maneuvers for a nuclear war have brought the dark clouds of war to hang over the Korean Peninsula and posed a constant threat of a nuclear war to the Korean people.

The U.S. imperialists' evermore undisguised nuclear blackmail compelled the DPRK to bolster its capability for self-defence. As a result, it won victories in the nuclear standoff with the U.S. and ensured the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula and the rest of Northeast Asia.

In view of the U.S. nuclear threat not only countries around the peninsula but anti-imperialist independent countries have bolstered the defence capabilities and strengthened the means for strategic deterrence.

The U.S. is disturbing the normal relations among nations with its double-dealing nuclear policy and creating complexity in the international arena.

The U.S. is conniving and patronizing the development of nuclear weapons by its junior allies while labeling the peaceful nuclear activities of the countries desirous of independence against imperialism as "development of nuclear weapons". It is even contemplating a military attack on them, not content with ratcheting up sanctions and pressure on them in collusion with those allies. This is a manifestation of the intolerable U.S. double standards.

This is, at the same time, a product of the U.S. scenario for world domination.

If mankind is to live in a nuclear-free world, it should hold in check and frustrate the U.S. moves for a nuclear war.


Peninsula divided by US occupied south Korea. Source: http://www.juche-songun.ru/joomla/index.php?limitstart=10

Source
http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2012/201204/2012-04-29ee.html

Quote

Rodong Sinmun Blames U.S. for Sparking Arms Race

May 1. 2012 Juch 101

Commenting on this, Rodong Sinmun Tuesday says in a bylined commentary:

It is natural that world media brand the U.S. as a chief culprit disturbing world peace and stability and an arch criminal sparking off arms race.

Big clouds of a nuclear war hanging heavily over the world people now are attributable to the U.S. moves for increasing military expenditure.

Source
http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2012/201205/2012-05-01ee.html

Quote

Anti-DPRK "Joint Statement" of UNSC Rebuffed

Pyongyang, May 6 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry Sunday gave the following answer to the question put by KCNA as regards the fact that permanent members of the UN Security Council issued a "joint statement" pulling up the DPRK:

The permanent members of the UNSC which took part in the first preparatory meeting for the 2015 NPT Review Conference now under way in Vienna released a "joint statement" pulling up the DPRK over its launch of satellite for peaceful purposes and demanding it stop its nuclear activities and dismantle its nuclear deterrence.

This is a grave illegal action of violating the sovereignty of the DPRK and its right to use space and nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, pursuant to the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK.

The gravity of the matter is that the member nations unilaterally accepted the U.S. brigandish demand in contravention of the principle of action for action laid down in the September 19 joint statement, turning their faces away from the crimes the U.S. has committed by spawning the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through ceaseless nuclear threats and hostile policy in breach of the principle of impartiality.

It is the member nations that have conducted much more nuclear tests and stockpiled much more nukes than other countries in the world.

They have no moral qualification to say anything about the nuclear issue of someone as they keep arsenals of nukes enough to kill the whole mankind hundreds of times. It is like a guilty party filing the suit first that these countries took issue with the DPRK which has been directly exposed to the threat of nuclear war for the longest period.

They let loose such sophism at a meeting reviewing the implementation of the NPT in an effort to divert its attention in a bid to evade the fulfillment of the commitment to nuclear disarmament, prompted by their purpose to perpetuate their monopoly of nukes.

If the nuclear powers are to deter more countries from withdrawing from the NPT, they should respect the rights of all the countries to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as required by the basic mission of the NPT, and stop making word-play and sleight of hand over their commitment to nuclear disarmament.

Gone are days never to return when the U.S. could threaten the DPRK with A-bombs.

The DPRK, depending on its nuclear deterrence for self-defence, will firmly protect its sovereignty and dynamically push forward the development of space for peaceful purposes and the industry of nuclear energy and proudly build a thriving nation where its people will fully enjoy prosperity under socialism.

Source
http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2012/201205/2012-05-06ee.html

Quote

KCNA Labels U.S. Harasser of Peace and Security

Pyongyang, May 9 (KCNA) -- The United States announced its plan to conduct an interceptor missile test capable of intercepting five attack missiles simultaneously this year. It is said that the test would be the most complicated and largest-ever military element test. To be involved in this test are Patriot, Aegis and other interceptor missile complexes of various types and mobile radars.

This suggests that the U.S. moves to establish MD reached a new grave phase.

What should not be overlooked is that the U.S. asserts the MD is targeted against the DPRK and Iran, saying that these countries are pushing ahead with a plan for developing inter-continental missiles capable of reaching even to the U.S. mainland.

It is no more than an excuse for the U.S. to insist that MD is aimed at coping with their missile attacks.

The U.S. moves to build a missile shield are designed to put the world within the range of its missile attack and strike other countries as it pleases.

The U.S. MD makes clearer the structure of pressurizing the Eurasian Continent from both the east and the west.

It seeks to plug into its MD the member states of NATO in Europe, Japan and Australia in Asia-Pacific, Israel in the Mideast, etc.

The keynote of the U.S. strategy for world supremacy since the demise of the Cold War era is to prevent the emergence of the forces that may challenge it.

It is the view of the U.S. that there are powers on the Eurasian Continent likely to challenge it and their potentials are growing stronger more rapidly than expected in recent years.

With this situation in view, the U.S. seeks to steadily expand and round off the MD in a bid to disable other powers' capability of nuclear retaliation and make its military edge unchallenged.

It is also its calculation that this is also good for plugging them into an arms race and making their strength exhausted.

This is evidenced by the facts that the U.S. spent a huge amount of money for MD every year and is contemplating drawing more countries into MD under the pretexts of "joint defense" and "joint research" and is planning to conduct a test for intercepting three medium- and short-range ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles simultaneously.

The U.S. moves for unchallenged MD are fraught with the potential danger of escalating international tensions and sparking off an arms race among countries and thereby starting a new Cold War.

The U.S. is the arch criminal wrecking global peace and stability and sparking off an arms race. -0-

Source
http://www.kcna.kp./goHome.do?lang=eng

Quote

Korea's highly enriched uranium (HEU) bomb

01/05/2012 13:17

North Korea operates a staggering number of 2000 uranium centrifuges. It can produce an additional nuclear bomb annually.




Source
http://blog.daum.net/_blog/BlogTypeView.do?blogid=079FA&articleno=3913556&categoryId=219845&regdt=20120501131753

Quote

Hwasong-13 EMP ICBM

2012/05/06 [03:28]

The next Korean nuclear test should demonstrate warhead miniaturisation design capabilities as used in the Hwasong-13 EMP ICBM and its implication for the US mainland.


Hwasong-13 EMP ICBM doctrine:"We shall rain upon our foes like lightning from a cloudless sky!"

Source
http://www.hinews.asia/sub_read.html?uid=1793&section=sc1&section2=

02/05/2012 00:29

Iranian officials might be participating in the North Korea nuclear test

Source
http://blog.daum.net/_blog/BlogTypeView.do?blogid=079FA&articleno=3913558&_bloghome_menu=recenttext

Official:James Oberg about to repack for Sohae!


By James Oberg NBC News space analyst

Special to MSNBC

updated 4/27/2012 10:50:13 AM ET

it’s worth going anyway, if we prepare adequately to see what is unseen and hear what is untold. I’m ready to pack my bags again for anywhere else where they want to play that game.

Quote

Lies exposed by visiting the DPRK
 

Posted by juche007 at 04:06 0 comments 

Saturday, 28 April 2012

We visited the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea from the 9th of April to the 17th of April to attend the World Congress on the Juche idea and the centenary celebrations of the birth of the great leader comrade Kim Il Sung.

It was like a dream. Of course there was so much to see and do and so short a space of time.

We saw graphically just how false the so called reporting of the Western media is. Most of it is just blatant lies and regrettably so called human right organisations like Amnesty International join in with. It is a lie to say that there is starvation.

The Western imperialist media were there. I experienced a loud mouth from either ABC or NBC acting in a disrespectful and disruptive way at the unveiling ceremony for the new statues of the 2 great leaders comrade Kim Il Sung and comrade Kim Jong Il.
 
Source
http://juche007-anglo-peopleskoreafriendship.blogspot.com/2012/04/lies-exposed-by-visitng-dprk.html

Quote

Pyongyang, May 8 (KCNA) -- The U.S. is going ahead with its plan to set up a new military intelligence organ named "Defense Clandestine Service" under its Defense Department.
...
Regarding it hard to collect more precise and substantial information by the said means, the U.S. seeks to infiltrate spies deep into relevant countries in a bid to boost the information gathering capability.
...
This suggests that U.S. intelligence agents under the guises of journalist, teacher, humanitarian aid officer and other experts may come to the DPRK and conduct military information-gathering activities.

The present situation in which the U.S. started its special operation against the DPRK requires its service personnel and people to maintain high revolutionary vigilance and thoroughly frustrate the enemies' espionage and subversive activities and sabotages.

Source
http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2012/201205/2012-05-08ee.html

Source
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47204491/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/what-we-learned-north-koreas-rocket-no-show/