United Nations Security Council resolution 825, adopted on 11 May 1993, called upon the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (the DPRK, or North Korea) to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation ...
and allow weapons inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) into the country, after it had previously refused entry."May 1993 – Controversy over nuclear issue". Keesing's Record of World Events. 39, p. 39,463. May 1993.
Background
On 30 January 1992, North Korea officially signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in a "full scope safeguards agreement" after originally acceding to it in 1985,Kapur, S. P. (2007). ''Dangerous deterrent: nuclear weapons proliferation and conflict in South Asia.'' Stanford University Press. p. 155. . which allowed inspections to begin in June 1992; however, meetings failed to establish a bilateral inspection regime.North Korea U.S. State Department. The IAEA was not satisfied that North Korea had fully disclosed its
plutonium
Plutonium is a radioactive chemical element with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibi ...
production and requested access to certain facilities. Due to lack of progress in the negotiations, and the DPRK's refusal to allow inspection of two suspected
nuclear waste
Radioactive waste is a type of hazardous waste that contains radioactive material. Radioactive waste is a result of many activities, including nuclear medicine, nuclear research, nuclear power generation, rare-earth mining, and nuclear weapons ...
sites, North Korea notified the IAEA on 12 March 1993 concerning its intention to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Board of Governors at the IAEA later notified the Security Council that North Korea was not in compliance with its obligations under the Joint Agreement between the DPRK and the IAEA.Bothe, M., Ronzitti, N. & Rosas, A. (1998). ''The new Chemical Weapons Convention–implementation and prospects.'' Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 291. .
Provisions
The resolution passed with 13 votes, none against and two abstentions from the People's Republic of China and
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
, which both called for North Korea to return to the NPT. The Security Council noted with concern the intentions of the DPRK and reaffirmed the "crucial contribution which progress in
non-proliferation
Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons, fissionable material, and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information to nations not recognized as " Nuclear Weapon States" by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Wea ...
can make to the maintenance of international peace and security" and called on the
North Korean government
In the North Korean government, the Cabinet is the administrative and executive body. The North Korean government consists of three branches: administrative, legislative, and judicial. However, they are not independent of each other, but al ...
to be committed and honour its obligations under the Treaty. The resolution also required the Director-General of the IAEA to consult with the DPRK to find a solution and report back in due course. At the insistence of the People's Republic of China, which abstained, the resolution did not make reference to any sanctions if North Korea failed to comply with the Security Council.
Aftermath
North Korea accused the IAEA of "liquidating her
socialism
Socialism is a left-wing Economic ideology, economic philosophy and Political movement, movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to Private prop ...
ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the ...
s into the
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, i ...
. After direct negotiations with the United States, North Korea revoked its earlier decision to withdraw from the NPT in June 1993 and weapons inspections resumed, though not under the full terms of access under the original Joint Agreement. In October 1994, the ongoing negotiations resulted in the Agreed Framework in which the DPRK agreed to the original 1992 IAEA safeguards and to freeze and dismantle its
nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction or nuclear fusion reactions. Nuclear reactors are used at nuclear power plants for electricity generation and in nuclear marine propulsion. Heat fr ...
s and other facilities under the supervision of the IAEA in exchange for
light water reactor
The light-water reactor (LWR) is a type of thermal-neutron reactor that uses normal water, as opposed to heavy water, as both its coolant and neutron moderator; furthermore a solid form of fissile elements is used as fuel. Thermal-neutron react ...
s.Kapur (2007), p. 156
See also
*
List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 801 to 900
This is a list of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 801 to 900 adopted between 8 January 1993 and 4 March 1994.
See also
* Lists of United Nations Security Council resolutions
* List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions ...