S Korea sends first oil shipment to North
Friday, 13 July 2007
ULSAN, South Korea, July 12 (AFP): A South Korean tanker left for North Korea Thursday to deliver 6,200 tons of heavy fuel oil as part of a nuclear disarmament pact, witnesses said.
The vessel Hanchang carried a banner on its side reading "First shipment of 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil for North Korea" as it left this southeastern port.
North Korea has said it will consider shutting its Yongbyon reactor, which produces the raw material for bomb-making plutonium, as soon as it receives the first shipment.
South Korean officials said the consignment would reach North Korea's Sonbong port in the northeast around Saturday after a 38-hour voyage.
The shipment was supervised by three officials including Sul Choong, a unification ministry director. They will also travel to North Korea.
Under the first phase of a six-nation February disarmament pact, energy-starved North Korea is to receive 50,000 tons of oil for shutting down and sealing Yongbyon in the presence of UN atomic inspectors.
South Korea plans to complete the shipment of 50,000 tons of fuel oil within 20 days.
The North will receive another 950,000 tons of oil or equivalent aid, as well as major diplomatic and security concessions, if it permanently disables all its nuclear facilties and declares all its programmes.
The South-part of the six-nation process which also groups China, the United States, Japan, Russia and North Korea itself-is paying for the first tranche.
The vessel Hanchang carried a banner on its side reading "First shipment of 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil for North Korea" as it left this southeastern port.
North Korea has said it will consider shutting its Yongbyon reactor, which produces the raw material for bomb-making plutonium, as soon as it receives the first shipment.
South Korean officials said the consignment would reach North Korea's Sonbong port in the northeast around Saturday after a 38-hour voyage.
The shipment was supervised by three officials including Sul Choong, a unification ministry director. They will also travel to North Korea.
Under the first phase of a six-nation February disarmament pact, energy-starved North Korea is to receive 50,000 tons of oil for shutting down and sealing Yongbyon in the presence of UN atomic inspectors.
South Korea plans to complete the shipment of 50,000 tons of fuel oil within 20 days.
The North will receive another 950,000 tons of oil or equivalent aid, as well as major diplomatic and security concessions, if it permanently disables all its nuclear facilties and declares all its programmes.
The South-part of the six-nation process which also groups China, the United States, Japan, Russia and North Korea itself-is paying for the first tranche.