Nuclear Issue of North Korea and Applicability of the IAEA Safeguards System To North Korea

This paper is dealing basically with two aspects. The one is on geopolitical feature of nuclear issue of North Korea in international relations. The other is on technical dimension of feasibility in the application of IAEA safeguards system to North Korea in terms of effectiveness of the IAEA safeguards system. To draw geopolitical feature, it’s necessary for us to look carefully diplomatic and political behavior of North Korea in 1990s through 2006. And to have an appropriate understanding for the technical aspects of applicability of the IAEA safeguards system to North Korea, we need to make sure what is positive and negative feature of the comprehensive safeguards system of INFCIRC/153 type. This understanding could allow us to find out a value of the Additional Protocol in its eventual application to the case of North Korea. As the Six Party Talks is converging on a compromise, the issue on the recovery of the IAEA safeguards system in North Korea would go with the applicability of the Additional Protocol.