207 Uzbek workers leave for N. Korea reactor construction site

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@EARTHLINK.NET>]

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207 Uzbek workers leave for N. Korea reactor construction site



SEOUL, March 20 (Kyodo) - A team of 207 workers from 

Uzbekistan hired to help build two light-water nuclear reactors in 

North Korea left South Korea's eastern port of Sokcho for the North 

on Tuesday, South Korean project officials said. 



The hiring of Uzbek staff was in accordance with an agreement in 

January 1997 between North Korea and the Korean Peninsula 

Energy Development Organization (KEDO), an international 

consortium charged with providing the North with the reactors. 



The laborers, who arrived in Seoul on Monday, will replace 200 

North Korean workers who went on strike in October demanding 

higher pay. 



Under the 1997 service protocols agreement, the consortium hires 

staff from KEDO member states to ensure the rapid and smooth 

construction of the reactors. Uzbekistan joined KEDO last 

December. 



Currently, 200 North Koreans and about 700 South Koreans are 

engaged to work at the site in Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, 

roughly 250 kilometers northeast of Pyongyang. 



The $4.6 billion project is based on a 1994 pact between the North 

and the United States. They agreed Pyongyang would freeze and 

eventually dismantle its nuclear development program, suspected 

of being used for nuclear weapons production, in return for the 

reactors. 



Set up in 1995 and based in New York, KEDO has the U.S., 

Japan, South Korea and the European Union as board members. 



The monthly pay for Uzbeks is reported to have been set at $110, 

the same as for North Koreans, who have been demanding an 

almost sixfold hike since last spring. About 100 workers have been 

on daily strikes to put pressure on KEDO, project sources said. 



The first reactor was supposed to be completed by 2003, and the 

second the following year. But the endeavor will not be finished 

before 2008 due to funding and other problems. 



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Sandy Perle                                     Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100                                     

Director, Technical                             Extension 2306                                  

ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Service         Fax:(714) 668-3149                                          

ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc.                       E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net                                                      

ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue           E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com                       

Costa Mesa, CA 92626



Personal Website: http://sandyfl.nukeworker.net

ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com

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