24 Feb 2005 The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) admits that the DPRK in 1998 launched a satellite with a Taepodong-1 missile, and not a long-range missile as the previous assessment was. The NIS also states the DPRK has not yet build a highly-enriched uranium factory to produce HEU-based weapons, lacking key equipment.

24 Feb 2005 The DPRK and the KEDO consortium met to discuss the suspended project of the 2 light-water reactors. KEDO hoped to take construction equipment out, but Pyongyang is opposed to it until the compensation issue for the delayed project is resolved.

23 Feb 2005 Chinese envoy returns from Pyongyang and says Kim Jong Il told him the DPRK is willing to return to the 6-way talks.

10 Feb 2005 The Bush administration plays down Pyongyang's announcement saying they have heard it all before, and that the US has suspected the DPRK to have nuclear weapons since the 1990s. China says it hopes the 6-way talks will continue. The EU and Russia regret the DPRK's announcement, and urge it to return to the negotiating table, and avoid a nuclear arms race. UN chief Kofi Annan also urges Pyongyang to resume the 6-way talks and asks the other parties "to engage North Korea".

10 Feb 2005 The DPRK Foreign Ministry states that it suspends its participation in the 6-way talks as a reaction to the recent hostile statements of the US administration. Pyongyang also mentions: "We had already taken the resolute action of pulling out of the NPT and have manufactured nukes for self-defence to cope with the Bush administration's evermore undisguised policy to isolate and stifle the DPRK. Its nuclear weapons will remain nuclear deterrent for self-defence under any circumstances." Read original KCNA report, which also refers to the "outpost of tyranny" remark made by Secretary of State Rice, and to the "liberty and democracy" ideology of president Bush: "The U.S. now foolishly claims to stand by the people in the DPRK while negating the government chosen by the people themselves. We advise the U.S. to negotiate with dealers in peasant markets it claims they are to its liking or with representatives of "the organization of north Korean defectors" on its payroll if it wishes to hold talks." The next news item describes people celebrating the Lunar New Year in Pyongyang.

4 Feb 2005 The IAEA says that it does not rule out that Libya could have obtained its processed uranium from a country other than the DPRK. The IAEA stated that Libya received nuclear material from Pakistan, a key US ally, but has not confirmed a link with the DPRK. South Korean officials also question the reliability of US intelligence in this case.

2 Feb 2005 In his State of the Union address, US president Bush says: "We are working closely with governments in Asia to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions." As expected, no provocations that could undermine efforts to restart the 6-ways talks. Pyongyang reacts that Bush is turning the world into "a sea of fire" by capitalizing on what the DPRK calls "the freedom of power."

2 Feb 2005 US intelligence officials claim they have concluded with near certainty that it was the DPRK who sold processed uranium to Libya, and not Pakistan. They admit that the analysis of the uranium had been hampered by the fact that the US has no sample of known DPRK uranium for comparison with the Libya material. The study was done by eliminating other possible sources of uranium.

1 Feb 2005 New US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talks with China and South Korea about the US desire to resume the 6-way talks. Michael Green, the US National Security Council director for Asia visiting China and Japan, says the administration has a serious proposal for the DPRK and is ready to discuss it.

31 Jan 2005 China proposes working-level 6-way talks to prepare for the 4rd round.

For the events of 2002 - Dec 2004 visit the Archive