I'm Steve Ember with IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
North Korea this week announced it carried out its first-ever nuclear test.
North Korean officials said they exploded a nuclear weapon under the ground.
International testing equipment confirmed that ground movement in the
northeastern part of the country suggested a nuclear explosion. Other nations
are still working to confirm the reported test.
For many observers, the North Korean announcement came as no surprise. They
say the country's effort to develop a nuclear weapon began many years earlier.
Intelligence reports showed that North Korea had the materials needed to make
such a weapon in the early 1990s. In 1994, North Korea offered to suspend its
nuclear program as part of an agreement with the United States. In exchange,
North Korea was offered large amounts of fuel oil and help in building two
nuclear reactors for electricity.
Six years ago, North Korea asked the United States to pay for delays in the
reactor project. It also threatened to withdraw from the 1994 agreement.
President Bush took office in 2001. His administration decided to re-examine
relations with North Korea. The administration said it was not sure if the North
would honor the agreement.
Later, Mr. Bush identified North Korea, Iran and Iraq as what he called
the axis of evil. He also said the North was arming itself with missiles and
weapons of great destruction, while starving its citizens.
Four years ago, the United States said North Korea admitted to having a
secret weapons program. It said the program violated the 1994 agreement. The
international group building the reactors said it was halting oil exports to
North Korea.
The country answered the announcement by re-opening its nuclear center in
Yongbyon. Within a year, North Korea had expelled international nuclear
inspectors, and withdrawn from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The treaty
was created to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
To ease tensions, North Korea opened disarmament talks with the United States
and four other nations three years ago. Last September, they released a joint
statement. It said North Korea would end its nuclear arms program in exchange
for economic aid and security guarantees.
North Korea later said it would not return to the talks unless American
financial restrictions are lifted. The restrictions are meant to punish the
North for its reported involvement in illegal activities.
North Korea says it needs nuclear weapons to prevent an attack by the United
States. But America has repeatedly said it has no plans to attack the North. It
has urged the country to act on its earlier offers to not build nuclear weapons.
President Bush said Wednesday that the United States supports diplomacy to
settle the nuclear issue. But he rejected calls to open direct talks with North
Korea.
IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English was written by Brianna Blake. I'm Steve
Ember.
（來(lái)源:VOA 英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津姍姍編輯）
