
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 8, 1994                   TAG: 9406080102
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

U.S. SAYS KOREA COULD ADD BOMBS SOON

North Korea could process the fuel it recently removed from its Yongbyon reactor by the end of the year and produce enough plutonium for four or five nuclear bombs, administration officials said Tuesday.

The speed with which North Korea could reportedly break the remaining constraints on its nuclear program has raised the stakes for Washington's push to block that program. It has also become a key consideration in deliberations over what economic sanctions to seek.

The CIA has concluded there is a better than even chance that North Korea has produced one or two nuclear bombs. Producing more plutonium would expand North Korea's nuclear potential and yield surplus bomb material to sell to other nations, officials say.

North Korea took a step toward expanding its bomb material when it shut down the five-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon in mid-April. Administration officials were caught off guard by the shutdown and surprised at how quickly North Korea unloaded its spent fuel.

So far the country has kept the rods in a cooling pond under the eyes of international monitors, but administration officials are worried it will use its growing dispute with the inspectors as a pretext to repudiate the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, abandon all controls on its nuclear program and produce more bomb-grade material.

If it follows the usual safety guidelines, North Korea could begin reprocessing fuel in a matter of weeks.

An administration expert said that if North Korea used one reprocessing line, it could produce enough plutonium for four or five bombs by the end of the year. The North Koreans have been working to build a second line.

How long it would take North Korea to make bombs with the new supply of plutonium is unclear. Administration officials say their ``worst case'' estimate is that some new bombs might be produced by the end of the year; some officials speculate it could take many months or even years.

by CNB