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• U.S. Department of State

Summary

The six parties to the North Korean nuclear negotiations concluded an agreement on February 13, 2007, that specifies two Phases of implementation. The phases provided for a freeze of North Korean nuclear installations at the Yongbyon site, a subsequent disablement of all North Korean nuclear facilities, and a North Korean declaration of "all nuclear programs." The Agreement also establishes working groups of the six parties on subjects such as U.S.-North Korean normalization of relations, denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, energy and economic cooperation, Japan-North Korea normalization of relations, and a North Korean peace and security mechanism. The Six Party Agreement was negotiated following a North Korean nuclear test in October 2006, the imposition of sanctions against North Korea by the United Nations Security Council, and mounting congressional criticism of Administration policy. The nuclear test signaled progress by North Korean in reprocessing plutonium since 2002 for six to eight atomic bombs. The Agreement also came about because of changes in Bush Administration policy. Tactically, the Administration ended its unwillingness to negotiate bilaterally with North Korea and actively sought bilateral meetings; the details of the Agreement were negotiated at these meetings. The implementation of the Initial Phase of the Agreement, which had a 60-day deadline, was delayed until the Bush Administration acceded to North Korean demands for access to foreign banks to deposit $25 million from frozen accounts at the Banco Delta in Macau -- the object of U.S. financial sanctions since September 2005 because of Banco Delta's involvement in North Korean criminal counterfeiting. Following the release of the funds, North Korea shut down its operational nuclear reactor and plutonium reprocessing plant. The Bush Administration asserted in early September 2007 that North Korea had agreed to disclose all of its nuclear programs and disable them by the end of 2007. North Korean statements spoke of steps to implement the 2007 agreement by the end of the year, but they also asserted that the Bush Administration had agreed to reciprocal steps, including the removal of North Korea from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. This report will be updated periodically.

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